CdM girls’ water polo outlasts Orange Lutheran in Irvine SoCal quarterfinal

The Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team has played Orange Lutheran three times this season, and every time has come in the quarterfinals of a major tournament.

CdM beat the Lancers in the Holiday Cup quarterfinals on Dec. 29, but lost to them last weekend at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions. The teams matched up again Friday night at Woollett Aquatics Center, with a trip to the Irvine Southern California Championships semifinals on the line.

Neither team seemed willing to give an inch. The score was tied after the first quarter, at halftime, after the third quarter and after regulation.

CdM junior Carter Britt untied it in exciting fashion with a heads-up play. Britt’s counterattack goal with 1:06 left in the first sudden-death overtime period, assisted by Sea Kings senior goalkeeper Erin Tharp, lifted the Sea Kings to an 8-7 quarterfinal victory and into the final four of the tournament.

CdM (19-3), the No. 5 seed, will play top-seeded Goleta Dos Pueblos in a semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday back at Woollett Aquatics Center. The other semifinal features No. 2 Mater Dei and No. 3 Laguna Beach at 11 a.m. The tournament championship game is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.

“We feel like we’ve been waiting to break into that top three, and today was a step in that direction,” CdM coach Justin Papa said. “We truly believe, from top to bottom, that we can be the best team in the division, and [Saturday] is an opportunity to prove that.”

Senior Chloe Harbilas and junior center Layne Anzaldo each scored three goals for the Sea Kings, with sophomore defender Megan Peterson adding a goal. The Sea Kings did it with defense in the second half and overtime, holding Orange Lutheran (14-8) to one goal over the final 14-plus minutes of the game after the Lancers took a 6-4 lead early in the third quarter.

Tharp made 12 saves, including a standout one early in the sudden-death overtime. She reached high to her left to deny a shot by Orange Lutheran’s Hannah Palmer into the upper corner.

Tharp’s second save of overtime came off an outside shot from Lancers junior Brooke Hourigan. Britt, who came off the bench for substantial playing time in the second half with Peterson and CdM freshman Grace Myers battling foul trouble, took off on Hourigan’s release.

Britt received the long pass and quickly shot the ball. It clanged off the inside of the right goal post and went in.

“I looked behind me and I didn’t want to risk it,” Britt said. “I wanted to get a shot off.”

Junior Sophie Wallace had three assists for CdM, which earned its first meeting with the Chargers this season.

Papa said he believes CdM, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 and 2 poll, has solidified a spot as a top-four seed in the upcoming Division 1 playoffs. The Sea Kings now have two wins over No. 6 Foothill and two wins over current No. 4 Orange Lutheran.

“We’re excited,” Tharp said. “It was frustrating not being able to have the chance to be top four [in Santa Barbara] and being able to play the top teams. It’s exciting to come back this weekend, just a weekend later, and have the chance to measure ourselves against everyone else.”

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo