Sea Kings Win Title on Save by Stockstill

With two seconds to play, Corona del Mar goalkeeper Beau Stockstill rose up out of the water and slapped Caine Littrell’s shot out of the air, preserving a 12-11 victory over cross-town rival Newport Harbor and earning the Sea Kings the championship of the Southern California S&R; Sport Water Polo Cup at Heritage Park Saturday.

It was Stockstill’s second key save in the final minute of the game. With 39 seconds left, he knocked down a shot from the Sailors’ Peter Belden to keep his team in the lead. However, his save at the buzzer was special.

“My heart was pounding so hard,” Stockstill said. “I was just telling myself to make sure and get up as quick as I could.”

After Corona del Mar turned the ball over, a long pass found Littrell alone facing Stockstill, separated by a few feet. Stockstill, a sophomore, timed it perfectly and propelled out of the water just as Littrell let his shot fly, knocking it down as the buzzer sounded.

Corona del Mar (9-2), ranked fifth in the county and No. 1 in Southern Section Division II, defeated three of the top five teams in Division I en route to the title.

“This was awesome,” said two-meter player Artie Dorr. “We’ve never beat [Newport Harbor] since I’ve been on the team. This shows we can compete with any team.”

Dorr played an integral part in the victory, leading his team with five goals, including two in the final quarter that gave the Sea Kings a 12-9 lead.

Newport Harbor (10-4) rallied, with attacker Peter Belden steering the offense in the closing minutes, assisting on two goals to close the gap to 12-11.

“Even when we were down by three or four goals, I knew it was going to be a one-goal game,” Sailor Coach Brian Kreutzkamp said. “Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar . . . what else do you expect from the oldest rivalry in the county?”

Newport Harbor, ranked third in the county and fifth in Division I, took an early lead in the first quarter before Corona del Mar tied it, 4-4, on Dorr’s second goal of the game.

The Sailors took the lead again, 5-4, to open the second quarter when Belden took advantage of a six-on-five opportunity, but that would be the last time his team would lead. Belden finished with four goals and three steals.

“[Corona del Mar’s] two-meter game is far superior to ours,” Kreutzkamp said. “We haven’t given up seven goals in a half all season.”

Corona del Mar Coach John Vargas, who returned from Sydney, Australia this week after coaching the U.S. Olympic men’s team, was impressed with the Sea Kings’ progress.

“They’ve gone above and beyond what I thought they could do,” Vargas said.