Irvine’s Team Effort Turns Back Carlsbad

In what could be the toughest girls’ water polo tournament of the season, Irvine, ranked seventh in Orange County, turned in one of its strongest performances of the season, upsetting Carlsbad, the defending San Diego Section Division I champion.

Mary Beth Cox scored the game-winning goal with 1 minute 3 seconds remaining in the first sudden-death overtime period to give the Vaqueros a 9-8 victory in the second round of the Irvine Southern California Championships Thursday at Heritage Park in Irvine.

Cox scored her third goal by tipping in a lob pass from Nicole Lorrimer, sending the Vaqueros (13-9) into the quarterfinals to play Capistrano Valley at 6 tonight at Heritage Park.

“Now we’re showing some guts,” Irvine Coach Scott Hinman said. “Everyone was supportive of each other tonight. It was a total team effort.”

Hinman didn’t have the same glowing reports of his team last month. Irvine struggled earlier this season and Hinman’s frustration reached a boiling point last month when he called his team petty and selfish.

But there was no sign of that Thursday. The Vaqueros played solid team defense and sophomore Sarah Hamilton and Lorrimer also scored three goals each.

Scotti Shafer scored four goals for Carlsbad, including one with 33 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send it into overtime.

In other second-round games:

Capistrano Valley 7, Riverside Arlington 2--Amber Stachowski scored three goals for the Cougars (17-4-1), the third-ranked team in the county.

Bell Gardens 10, Los Alamitos 2--U.S. junior national team member Patty Cardenas had six goals for Bell Gardens (21-0), which extended its winning streak to 81 and advanced to play Agoura.

Foothill 15, Lompoc Cabrillo 2--Gabbie Domanic had six goals and Brittany Hayes had three for the Knights (21-1), the top-ranked team in Orange County. Foothill plays Long Beach Wilson in a 6 p.m. quarterfinal at El Toro High.

Newport Harbor 7, Corona del Mar 5--The Sailors (18-5), ranked second in the county, advanced to play No. 5 Santa Margarita (13-7), which defeated Santa Barbara, 6-5, in sudden death overtime.

In the Freeway League:

Sonora 6, Buena Park 5--MacKenzie Nolan scored the game-winner with 47 seconds remaining for the host Raiders (15-11, 5-2).