Water polo: Vaillancourt scores six for Mesa

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - Mike Vaillancourt, put lots of shots in the net, while

goalie Chris Dolloff kept shots out of the net for Costa Mesa High in

Thursday’s 12-6 nonleague boys water polo win over visiting Edison.

Vaillancourt, the Mustangs’ powerful two-meter player, tallied six

goals and three assists in the season opener, while Dolloff made five,

point-blank saves to keep the Chargers’ scoring to a minimum.

“We’re trying to grow together as a team,” Mustangs Coach Eric Berg

said afterward. “We still are trying to mature as a group and really

learn how to play water polo at its best.”

Costa Mesa (1-0) used its power and speed to the loose ball to

outhustle Edison.

“We’ve been training hard all preseason and we’re ready physically for

the long season,” Berg said. “We really work hard on getting to that

loose ball in practice and it paid off for us today.”

It was Edison, however, which took the early lead in the game. After

Vaillancourt scored the game’s opening goal, Charger goals by Nick

Banchire and Todd Ciborowski gave the Sunset League representative a 2-1

lead after the first quarter.

That would be the only lead Edison would have as Costa Mesa took

control in the second quarter with three consecutive goals, two by

Vaillancourt and one by Chris Biron.

Dolloff was solid in net, making a key save that led to Vaillancourt’s

second goal of the quarter.

“Chris is going against a bunch of odds for us,” Berg said. “He’s

dealing with some back trouble and he really has to rely on his speed and

quickness out there.”

Edison (0-1) tried to get back into the game in the third quarter.

The Chargers scored three of the first four goals in the third quarter

to tie the game at 5-5, before goals by Biron and John Bolt gave the

Mustangs a two-goal cushion.

“I’m still not completely satisfied with our defensive play,” Berg

said. “We need to start playing with more fitness and one of my goals for

the team is to completely understand all facets of the game.”

With Mesa holding on to a 7-6 lead in the fourth quarter, Dolloff kept

Edison out of the nets again with three more point-blank saves.

The Mustangs’ offense turned on the intensity in the fourth, scoring

five-straight goals to pull away.

Bolt had three goals, Biron added two goals and two assists and Brian

Dunn, Alex Sarris added two assists each for the Mustangs.

“My biggest objective for this club is overall maturity,” Berg

stressed. “The wins will come with hard work, organization and maturity

and I think we’re on the right track.”

Next up, the Mustangs will travel to San Clemente High for a 3 p.m.

nonleague match Tuesday.NONLEAGUE

Costa Mesa 12, Edison 6 1 2 3 4 T

Edison 2 0 4 0 6Costa Mesa 1 3 3 5 12

GOALS - E: Banchire, Ciborowski, Emhof, Kobzeff, Tague, Carman; CM:

Vaillancourt 6, Bolt 3, Biron 2, Whitman.

SAVES - E: Espinoza 3; CM: Dolloff 6.