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Miraleste Breaks 20-Year Dry Spell With Victory in Water Polo Tournament

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Times Staff Writer

Miraleste High School repulsed a late Santa Monica rally Saturday night to win its first El Segundo South Bay Water Polo Tournament at Urho Saari Swim Stadium. It was the first time Miraleste has won the tournament in the event’s 20-year history.

With the Vikings down 10-9 and 53 seconds to go in the game, Santa Monica goalie Martin Wagmeister blocked an Andy Foster shot to give the Vikings the ball. But Santa Monica’s bid to put the game into overtime ended when the Miraleste defense forced a 25-foot shot, easily blocked by sophomore goalie Fritz Mahron.

“They came to play and we didn’t,” Viking Coach Niall Skehan said. “They out-matured us. We had a chance to win the game and one guy decided he was going to play by himself.”

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Miraleste, ranked seventh in the Southern Section 2A poll, improved its record to 10-3. Santa Monica fell to 12-4. Kyle Hildebrand of Miraleste was named the tournament’s most valuable player for his outstanding play in the two-meter position and on defense.

“We had a lapse defensively in the second half, our players were depending to much on Kyle,” Miraleste Coach Chick McIlroy said.

Miraleste was leading 8-4 with 2:31 to go in the third period, but then gave up three consecutive goals to the Vikings, including a 65-foot shot by goalie Martin Wagmeister to end the third quarter. Santa Monica trailed 8-7 with 5:05 left in the contest, but could not tie the score.

Brad Youngrens, who led all players with five goals, scored two goals in the last three minutes of play to give the Marauders the winning margin.

Santa Monica’s Reza Izad scored the first goal of the game to give the Vikings the only lead it would have. The teams traded goals until Youngrens drilled a 10-foot shot past Wagmeister with 17 seconds to go in the second quarter to give Miraleste a lead it would not relinquish.

In the third place game:

Mira Costa 8, Loyola 6--Mira Costa goalie Joe Boyle blocked seven Loyola shots in the fourth quarter to lead the Mustangs to a surprising third-place finish in the 16-team field. Earlier in the tournament Mira Costa held Miraleste to 5 goals in a 5-2 semifinal loss. The five goals were the lowest point total scored by Miraleste in tournament action. Miraleste reached the final by beating Chadwick 14-9, Glendale 12-8, and Mira Costa.

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