Harvard-Westlake Has Reason to be Confident

VALLEY GLENN —  To hear members of the Harvard-Westlake High girls’ water polo team tell it, there was no question they were heading to next week’s Southern Section Division III final.

Not even late in the third quarter, when Burroughs pulled to within a goal of the Wolverines in a dramatic semifinal Friday.

“We weren’t worried. We were very confident . . . you have to be,” said Jeanine Jackson, the Wolverines’ leader who also plays for the U.S. National Youth team.

In the end, no one would doubt Harvard-Westlake. The Wolverines reeled off seven unanswered goals in the second half for a 14-8 victory in front of about 250 spectators at Valley College.

No one played with more confidence than Jackson, who had four goals, three assists and six steals.

“She’s played like that the last two games. There’s a sense of urgency now. There’s a purpose,” Coach Rich Corso of Harvard-Westlake said.

Harvard-Westlake (27-4), ranked No. 2 the entire season, faces top-seeded and defending division champion Bell Gardens for the Division III title at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach on Tuesday night.

The Wolverines are sure to have their hands full against Bell Gardens, which hasn’t lost since the program was initiated 59 games ago.

Harvard-Westlake was nearly caught looking past the Indians, who suffered because of a lack of depth and used only one reserve.

Burroughs (23-6), a wild-card team appearing in its first semifinal, pulled to within 7-6 on three consecutive goals with 1:16 remaining in the third quarter.

But the Wolverines answered with goals by Rachel Burkons and Courtney Quinn in the final 39 seconds of the third quarter to get the run started. Burkons and Quinn each scored three goals.

“Once a team sets in motion all that momentum at the end of the game, it’s over,” Burroughs Coach Rey Rivera said.

Junior Paloma Slezak scored three consecutive goals in a 2:16 span in the 7-0 run after sitting out the entire third quarter with foul trouble.

“I’m speechless,” said Slezak, who transferred from Louisville in the fall.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since the summer when I was playing with (Harvard-Westlake). I’m just so psyched.”