Hayes’ Big Decision Leads to Bigger Season

From the moment Brittany Hayes signed her letter of intent last November, her tension seemed to lift like the early-morning fog.

Suddenly, everything came easier for Hayes, a senior at Santa Ana Foothill High, including water polo.

She was a key figure for the Knights in every big game, including the Southern Section Division I final, where she led Foothill to its fourth consecutive title and first undefeated season.

“I had a lot more fun this season,” said Hayes, who signed with USC. “I learned not to take everything too seriously.”

Hayes, The Times’ girls’ water polo player of the year for the second consecutive season, was most composed when the Knights were facing their biggest challenges.

In the final of the Santa Barbara tournament against Newport Harbor, Hayes scored six goals in a 10-9 sudden-death victory. She had the tying goal late in regulation and the game-winner in overtime, leading the Knights back from a three-goal, fourth-quarter deficit.

In the section championship, Hayes had a goal, assist and steal in the closing minutes to hold off late-charging Santa Margarita for an 8-7 victory.

Dave Mikesell, who shares coaching duties at Foothill with Dan Klatt, said this was Hayes’ best all-around season.

“She was all over the place,” Mikesell said. “Not just scoring goals, but distributing the ball and playing better defense.”

Hayes had a team-high 107 goals -- 10 more than she scored last season -- and was second on the team with 46 assists.

Hayes is convinced she played at a higher level because of the contributions of her teammates, particularly fellow four-year starters Gabbie Domanic and Emily Feher.

Domanic is a full-time member of the U.S. national women’s team. Feher, a junior national team member, is considered the best high school goalkeeper in the country, if not the world, Mikesell said. The three were responsible for countless counterattacks that led to many of Hayes’ goals.

“I definitely don’t think I would have been as successful without them,” Hayes said. “They made me the player I am.”

Guy Baker, the U.S. women’s national team coach, invited her to train with the team two days a week in Los Alamitos, where she joins Domanic and Feher, who has also begun training with the senior national team.

Come fall, however, Hayes will go up against Domanic and Feher, who have signed with UCLA.

“It will be a lot of fun,” Hayes said of facing her longtime teammates.

Once Hayes completes college and makes an attempt at fulfilling her goal of playing in the Olympics, she looks forward to reflecting on her playing career.

One of her fondest memories, she believes, will be the sudden-death victory over Newport Harbor in Santa Barbara.

“That whole game was just so intense, so stressful and so tiring,” Hayes said. “Yet, it was so fun to be out there and be on the tip of your toes, not knowing what the outcome would be.”

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PLAYER OF THE YEAR

*--* Brittany Hayes Foothill Sr FIRST TEAM Monique Blanchard Riverside Poly Jr Had school-record 159 goals to lead Bears to their first Ivy League title and a berth in the Southern Section Division V final Molly Cahill Santa Barbara Sr UCLA signee had 18 goals in Division IV playoffs, leading Dons to their fifth section title in six years Gabbie Domanic Foothill Sr UCLA-bound left-hander led Knights with 47 assists and was second on team in goals (63) and steals (53) Emily Feher Foothill Sr UCLA signee allowed 2.41 goals per game and totaled 182 saves, repeating as Division I co-player of year Erika Figge Santa Margarita Sr USC-bound driver had 90 goals and 53 assists to lead Eagles to fourth consecutive section final Christina Hewko Corona del Mar Sr Division II player of the year had 54 goals, 53 steals and 32 assists to lead Sea Kings to division title SECOND TEAM Jenna Murphy Newport Harbor Sr Cara Colton Villa Park Sr Aimee Stachowski Santa Margarita Sr Danielle Carlson Corona del Mar Sr Annie Wight Newport Harbor Sr Vanessa Lindsey Upland Jr Meridith McColl Capistrano Valley Sr

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