Mira Costa Water Polo Team Rallies for Win

A big second half lifted the Mira Costa High water polo team to an 11-7 victory over Cabrillo of Lompoc in the Southern Section Division III quarterfinals Wednesday at El Camino College.

The Mustangs (24-5) will play Costa Mesa in the semifinals Saturday afternoon at a site and time to be determined. Costa Mesa advanced with a 9-7 victory over Dos Pueblos of Goleta.

Cabrillo (21-7), which defeated Mira Costa, 6-5, earlier in the season, opened a 4-2 lead at halftime before the Mustangs got their offense going.

Mira Costa opened the second half by scoring four unanswered goals in the first two minutes. Goals by Jeff Miller, Robin Breitinger, James Fujikake and Dave Happy gave the Mustangs a 6-4 lead.

“We were really down (at halftime),” Mustang Coach Mike Nollan said. “I talked to my players about coming back and working harder.

“We went from down two to up two, and it seemed like every time they mounted a challenge, we came back and did it to them again. It was a tremendous comeback.”

Nollan said that a 13-4 playoff loss to Cabrillo two years ago may have inspired the squad’s seniors.

“A lot of these guys . . . played in that game as sophomores,” he said. “They got pushed in the corner and wouldn’t come out. It was a very sad situation.”

Cabrillo’s Pat Midgley, who had four goals in the teams’ first game, scored five goals and appeared unstoppable in the first half.

Nollan said Cabrillo played a physical game, but balanced scoring and teamwork were the deciding factors. Five Mustangs scored two goals each.

“That’s the hallmark of our team,” he said. “There is no one person that you can key on. If you do that, then someone else does the job.

“All nine guys in the tank today did a job.”

Senior goalie Eric Hess had nine saves and was able to stop two potential breakaway goals in the second half.