South Wins in Overtime

The Orange County girls’ water polo all-star game went to sudden-death overtime before University’s Erin Hayes ended it with the game-winning goal in the South’s 6-5 victory over the North Sunday at El Toro High.

It was Hayes’ only goal of the game, and it capped a rally from a 5-2 fourth-quarter deficit for the South. But her winning shot didn’t come easy.

Hayes scored 46 seconds into the sudden-death period after the North’s goalkeeper, Los Alamitos’ Jackie Frank, made a save on a shot from the hole by Marina’s Rebecca Miller. The ball bounced free at the left front of the goal and Hayes barely tipped it in past Frank for the victory.

It was only the second goal Frank (nine saves) gave up.

The South had a chance to end it in the final seconds of overtime. With five seconds remaining, Miller hit the crossbar with a shot from the hole, but the rebound caromed right back to her and Frank made a great save to send the game to sudden death.

On the previous possession, the North’s chance to win in overtime bounced away when Fountain Valley’s Sharon Vanderpass, who had a game-high four goals, hit the crossbar from the hole with 32 seconds remaining in overtime.

The South forced overtime with a three-goal burst in the fourth quarter. Capistrano Valley’s Chelsea Rowlands (three goals) scored twice in a 45-second span to make it 5-4 with 2 minutes 40 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Miller scored the tying goal with a minute remaining, and the teams went to overtime.

“I told the girls this is the one game this year I won’t have to stress out,” said Rosary’s Todd Sprague, the North coach, “and then we go sudden-death overtime?

“It was a fun week. It’s been nice to work with some of the best players in the county.

“I told Jackie Frank that she has probably been playing water polo longer than I have been coaching. But maybe I could give each of them a little different perspective on the game. That’s been neat.”