Irvine Tournament Might Be Better Than Playoffs

The Southern Section girls’ water polo playoffs don’t begin for two weeks, but postseason intensity should be the form at the Irvine Southern California Championships this week.

That’s because the road through the 32-team field for the tournament, which begins Thursday at three different sites and concludes with the final Saturday at Heritage Park in Irvine, figures to be tougher than any postseason tournament.

The field features the top-seeded teams from the five Southern Section playoff divisions as well as Carlsbad and Coronado, two top teams from the San Diego Section.

“It’s kind of a playoff atmosphere,” University Coach Mike Reid said. “I think it lets the girls see what type of competition they will see in the playoffs and where their game has to be.”

How deep is this field? Santa Margarita, which reached the final of this tournament and won the Southern Section Division IV title last season and was ranked fifth in Division I last week, faces this potential path of opponents:

* University, the top-ranked team in Division IV, meets the Eagles in the first round.

* Santa Barbara, the three-time defending Division II champion, two-time defending champion of this tournament and top-ranked team in Division II, likely awaits in the second round.

* Newport Harbor, the 1999 Division I champion and second-ranked team in the county, is the top-seeded team in Santa Margarita’s pool.

* Foothill, the 2000 Division I champion and top-ranked team in the county and Division I, is also top-seeded in its pool and is favored to reach the semifinals.

* Bell Gardens, the two-time defending Division III champion which entered the season with a 60-game winning streak, is the pre-tournament favorite.

“Probably the 15th or 16th seeds in this field would have won the first tournament in 1996,” said Irvine Coach Scott Hinman, whose team hosts the tournament. “This is by far the strongest field we’ve had.”

Before the Southern Section had its first sanctioned playoffs for girls’ water polo in 1998, the Irvine tournament served as an unofficial championship in 1996 and ’97. The top teams have continued to attend the event as a playoff primer.

First-round games are Thursday from 3-6 p.m. at Corona del Mar and El Toro highs and the Heritage Park Aquatic Complex. The quarterfinals are at 6 p.m. Friday at each site and Heritage Park will host the semifinals at 10 and 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by the final at 3 p.m.

UPSET? WHAT UPSET?

Looking at the rankings, University’s 8-7 victory over Laguna Beach, then ranked sixth in the county, appeared to be a surprising win for the Trojans.

“But my gut reaction was that it wasn’t much of an upset,” University’s Reid said. “We only graduated two players from last season’s team. I felt like it was a game we should have and could have won.”

The real surprise was how the Trojans won. University committed 15 major fouls and had four top players disqualified with three major fouls each.

The team’s leading scorer, Monica Canby, fouled out before halftime. Three other key players fouled out by the beginning of the fourth quarter.

But two sophomore JV players, Marina Mayer and Jenna Greene, stepped into the void. Greene scored what would turn out to be the game-winning goal.

With senior Samantha Klau, junior Julie Voorhees and senior goalkeeper Tiffany Mayer, the Trojans (9-9, 3-0) have moved to the top of the Pacific Coast League and Division IV.

“I’ve been telling the girls all year that they’re a better team than they’re showing,” Reid said. “Yes, we got blown out by Foothill and El Toro. And the girls see Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar and they’ve been ranked in the county top 10.

“But I don’t put a lot of stock in those polls. What is important is what we’re doing to improve ourselves and how we do in league. If we never get into the top 10, who cares? If we win CIF, that’s what matters.”

LOOKING AHEAD

University will play seven games in a six-day stretch this week. Before and after its five Irvine tournament games will be two of its most important games of the season.

The Trojans could clinch a share of the Pacific Coast League title and likely the top seed for the Division IV playoffs with a victory at Corona del Mar at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Monday, University plays at Santa Monica, ranked fifth in Division IV.

If you have an item or idea for the girls’ water polo report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at: mike.itagaki@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

GIRLS’ WATER POLO TOP 10

Orange County Coaches’ Poll

*--*

Pos. School (League) Rec 1. Foothill (Century) 18-1 2. Newport Harbor (Sea View) 16-5 3. Capistrano Valley (S. Coast) 15-4-1 4. El Toro (South Coast) 14-5 5. Santa Margarita (Serra) 10-7 6. Marina (Sunset) 11-7-1 7. Irvine (Sea View) 10-9 8. Laguna Beach (Pacific Coast) 15-5 9. Los Alamitos (Sunset) 14-6 10. Canyon (Century) 13-5

*--*