Making Waves to Attract Attention

If only someone on the Southern Section rankings committee could figure out what many in the girls’ water polo community already know: Thousand Oaks High has a darn good team.

After outlasting Crescenta Valley, 2-1, Saturday to win the round-robin Thousand Oaks tournament at Thousand Oaks High, the Lancers improved their record to 10-0.

At 6-0 they are the sole undefeated team in Marmonte League games and have allowed only 28 goals overall. Twelve of the goals came in victories over Newbury Park and Royal.

Yet, the Lancers were overlooked when the section’s Division II rankings were released Monday.

“That’s not entirely up to me,” Coach Jeff Warshaw said when asked about the omission. “But the sooner [Thousand Oaks is ranked] the better. We’re off to a great start.”

Coach Peter Kim of Crescenta Valley, whose team is 9-4 and has lost to No. 2 Harvard-Westlake and No. 4 Louisville, is impressed with the Lancers.

“They definitely should be ranked,” Kim said. “They are very well coached, well disciplined and fundamentally sound. We played at the highest level of intensity we have played in two to three weeks today and still came up short.”

As if they haven’t done enough, the Lancers will get a chance to prove themselves this week. They play Newbury Park, a team Thousand Oaks defeated twice this season, in a league game Wednesday and play in the Dos Pueblos tournament next weekend.

Top-ranked Santa Barbara and No. 9 Ventura are among the teams entered in the tournament.

“This week will certainly help us see where we fit in the big picture,” Warshaw said. “I figure if we play well, we have to run in to a ranked team up there.”

If the Thousand Oaks defense plays like it did Saturday, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Goalie Marie Middleton had five saves, including two on power-play opportunities in the last two minutes, to seal the victory. The Lancers had 10 steals, including three by Anne-elise Rudrud, and forced six shot-clock violations.

“Defense has absolutely been our primary focus,” Warshaw said. “I tell the girls that if we’re ahead at halftime, we don’t need to score any more.”

Several times it appeared that Thousand Oaks would break open the game, but Falcon goalie Misty Harlan, who had 13 saves and four steals, thwarted many of those opportunities.

Thousand Oaks driver Chloe Figueiredo broke free from the Crescenta Valley defense with 51 seconds to play in the third quarter and drilled a close-range shot past Harlan for the game-winner.

Shelly Stiles scored for Crescenta Valley on a 30-foot shot with 4:21 to play. But the Lancers, who made Kelly Foster’s goal with 3:30 to go in the first quarter stand most of the game, tightened their defense in the fourth quarter.