CdM girls’ water polo outlasts JSerra to stay alive in Open Division playoffs
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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — The Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team has had some memorable matches against JSerra this season.
This time, CdM didn’t let a lead slip away as it fought for its playoff life.
Sophomore utility player Keira Bethell scored a match-high three goals as the Sea Kings held on for a 12-11 upset win Wednesday night in a CIF Southern Section Open Division pool-play match at JSerra.
No. 7 Corona del Mar (18-10) finished third in Group B and advanced to play at No. 5 San Marcos, the second-place finisher in Group A, in a crossover match on Saturday. The winner of that game will advance to the Open Division semifinals on Feb. 18 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.
“We have an opportunity to get to the semis,” CdM coach Marc Hunt said. “[San Marcos is] good, no question about it … But for us, we’ve got a team that is definitely executing better than we were two weeks ago, from an offensive standpoint.”
No. 6-seeded JSerra (16-12), which finished fourth in the four-team Group B, was eliminated from the postseason.
Seniors Josie Alaluf, Grace Henderson and Sareen Sardarian each scored a pair of goals Wednesday for CdM in a well-rounded effort. Sophomore center Camryn Spruill, senior attacker Emma Armen and junior left-handed attacker Morgan Dollander added one goal each.
Senior goalkeeper Claire Souderville made 10 saves for the Sea Kings, who came out strong and opened up an 8-3 lead in the second quarter.
“I feel like everyone underestimates us, because we’re kind of lower in our bracket, but I feel like we’ve proved a lot of people wrong,” Sardarian said. “This game definitely proved what we wanted to do. It’s fun to compete with higher-level teams, because they just don’t think of us as highly as we think of them. We just go and we rock.”
CdM won for the second time in four meetings against JSerra this year, led by longtime Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato. At the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, the Lions rallied late for an overtime win. In the semifinals of the Southern California Championships tournament, JSerra came back from a 7-2 deficit to win, though the Sea Kings were playing without Souderville at the time.
“We were all talking to each other, saying ‘Don’t get too comfortable, keep the energy flowing,’” Alaluf said. “I think we learned from last time.”
A transition goal by Alaluf, assisted by Henderson, gave CdM a 12-8 lead with 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. JSerra responded with consecutive goals from Madeline Weston, Aubrey Cardoza and Kamryn McCord on a penalty shot, but the equalizer did not come.
Bethell, who leads CdM in scoring this season, has turned into a versatile player who will play center but also score from the perimeter and defend. Her alert goal at the first-quarter buzzer, which came after Spruill drew an exclusion on the JSerra goalkeeper, gave the Sea Kings a 4-2 advantage.
CdM also has taken momentum from a 12-10 loss at No. 3 Oaks Christian in another Group B match on Saturday.
“I feel like that really showed what we’re capable of,” Bethell said. “People didn’t expect us to do as well as we did against Oaks, but we really played as a team, as a strong unit. I think it showed all of the hard work that we put in.
“We’re not a one-player team. You have to guard and honor all of us.”
In another Open Division pool-play game Wednesday night:
Newport Harbor 8, Oaks Christian 7: The Sailors won at home to clinch Group B and book a spot in the semifinals.
Olivia Bryant led No. 2-seeded Newport Harbor (26-3) with three goals. Gabby Alexson and Emerson Mulvey each scored twice, and Kylie Robison also tallied a goal.
Senior goalkeeper Sunny Brown made a big penalty-shot block in the fourth quarter to keep Newport ahead.
The Sailors will play either Orange Lutheran or Oaks Christian again in the CIF semifinals on Feb. 18 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.
