Girls water polo: FINALS BOUND!

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - When John Vargas took the Corona del Mar High girls

water polo program over this year the team was excited, for a little

while.

“I think that excitement went away after they figured out how much work I

was gonna put them though,” Vargas said with a grin.

Well, the excitement’s back as the Sea Kings advanced to the CIF Southern

Section Division IV finals with a 5-4 win over Santa Monica at Newport

Harbor High.

“I knew that down the stretch, our conditioning would pay off,” Vargas

said. “We struggled offensively, but I think our all-around game was very

good.”

Corona del Mar will duel Santa Margarita Wednesday at Belmont Plaza for

the championship.

Despite the one-goal difference, it was an all-around superior effort for

the Sea Kings (20-11).

“It’s funny saying this with a 5-4 score, but I thought we outswam them

and did everything we could to be successful,” Vargas said. “We just

didn’t have the focus we needed in front of the goal.”

For Santa Monica (22-8), it was a matter of not taking advantage of CdM’s

penalties. The Vikings were 0 for 4 with a 6-on-5 advantage, while the

Sea Kings connected on half of their four attempts.

CdM freshman Danielle Carlson and sophomore Lauren Guthrie each had two

goals, while junior Lindsay Daley added a single tally.

Carlson also played a major factor on defense with seven steals. “She’s

really played well on both sides of the pool,” Vargas said. “She had a

real solid game today, both offensively and defensively.”

Santa Monica took a 1-0 lead when Marta Altamirano scored her first of

three goals on the afternoon off a pass from Byanka Delgadillo four

minutes into the first quarter.

On the Sea Kings’ next possession, they answered when Carlson found the

back of the net on a 6-on-5 advantage.

After a Vikings’ turnover, Guthrie scored on a four-meter penalty shot,

giving CdM a 2-1 lead.

Altamirano closed out the first quarter with a goal off another

Delgadillo assist, tying the score.

The Vikings stayed in the game thanks to some good fortune and the goal

posts as three Sea Kings’ shots popped off the goal instead of going in

the goal.

Santa Monica goalie Cindy Ayala had seven saves, three from point-blank

variety, while senior Arin Hendrickson had five for CdM.

“Arin has been solid back there all year for us,” Vargas said. “Today,

she was an important part of our defense.”

After a scoreless second quarter, CdM increased the pressure. On another

6-on-5 advantage, Carson and freshman Christina Hewko worked the offense

with a game of cross-pool catch, until Carlson found the lower-right

corner of the goal, giving the Sea Kings a 3-2 lead.

“Christina does a lot of good things out there that sometimes go

unnoticed,” Vargas said. “She’s good on defense, solid on offense; she’s

just a workhorse out there.”

With 4:19 left in the third, Daley ripped a shot that was slowed by

Ayala, but not slowed enough as the ball crept into the goal, making it,

4-2.

The Vikings’ Helen Kim, denied on a solid save from Hendrickson on a

6-on-5, found the upper-right corner on an arching shot from the corner,

cutting the lead to 4-3 with 2:30 left in the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, another man-up advantage came and went for

Santa Monica as a Delgadillo shot rang off the left goal post.

Off a pass down low from Hewko, Guthrie backhanded a shot past the

surprised Ayala, giving CdM a much-needed two-goal cushion with 4:18

left.

It was much needed because 23 seconds later, Altamirano scored her third

of the game off a lob shot, cutting the lead to, 5-4.

CdM turned up the defense down the stretch. With 1:08 remaining and the

Vikings’ possession, the Sea Kings forced a shot-clock violation, sending

the CdM crowd to its feet.

“We didn’t do anything different on the play,” Vargas said. “We just

stayed with our normal man-on-man coverage.”

Santa Monica had one more chance after a CdM turnover, but Carlson came

up with a big steal, ending the Vikings’ chances for overtime.

For Wednesday’s finals matchup against the Eagles, will Vargas attempt to

rejuvenate the Sea Kings’ offense?

“We’ve got some ideas, but I’ll tell the girls after our talk here,” the

secretive Vargas said with a laugh.

CIF DIVISION IV GIRLS WATER POLO

Semifinals

Corona del Mar 5, Santa Monica 4

Santa Monica 2 0 1 1 - 4

Corona del Mar 2 0 2 1 - 5

Santa Monica - Altamirano 3, Kim 1; Corona del Mar - Guthrie 2, Carlson

2, Daley. Saves - Ayala (SM) 9; Hendrickson (CdM) 5.