This Time, Long Beach Wilson Is One Goal Better Than Foothill

Foothill and Long Beach Wilson got together for another water polo tournament final Saturday and again they proved very little separates them.

This time it was Wilson finishing on top, 9-8, in the championship game of the Southern California Invitational at Heritage Park.

Wilson’s Tony Azevedo scored the game-winner with 59 seconds remaining, and Scott Miller then stole the ball from Jeremy Katz on Foothill’s final possession to clinch the victory.

Foothill and Wilson have been rooted in a battle for the top spot in Division I since last season when the teams met several times in tournament finals, including Wilson’s one-goal victory in the Southern California Invitational.

The teams met in the finals of the South Coast Tournament last weekend as well, with the Knights coming away with an 8-7 victory.

Foothill (11-1) had the early edge Saturday. The Knights grabbed a 1-0 lead after the first period on a counterattack goal by Robby Arroyo.

Foothill increased its lead early in the second period when Arroyo passed the ball out of the two-meter area to Katz, who skipped a shot into the net. After Wilson countered on a man-advantage goal by Mike Komrosky, Jeff Pflueger scored the first of his four goals to give Foothill a 3-1 lead.

Wilson (10-1) came right back with goals from Peter Joseph and Sean McEachern to tie the score, but Kevin McKee gave the Knights their last lead with 29 seconds left in the first half.

Wilson put together three consecutive goals to go up, 6-4, early in the third period, but Pflueger scored and McKee then made a spectacular spin move around Jeff Nesmith to tie the score, 6-6.

Both teams traded goals the final five minutes with Pflueger tying the game, 8-8, on a man-advantage goal with 1:50 remaining.