Community College men’s water polo: OCC wins ... confidence

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - In defeat, the Orange Coast College men’s water polo

team gained confidence, which will assuredly be needed when the Pirates

face Golden West again.

Orange Coast, ranked No. 7 team in the state, lost to its rival Golden

West, the No. 2 team, 15-8, Wednesday in an Orange Empire Conference

opener.

“On one hand this game gave us confidence,” OCC Coach Jason Gall said.

“Because now we we know we play with (Golden West). We can beat them.

It’s just a matter of us keeping our heads in the game.”

The Pirates (3-2, 0-1 in the OEC) went toe-to-toe with Golden West, at

least in the first half and a bit into the third period.

But, when the Rustlers (5-0, 1-0) scored with 2:45 remaining in the

third, the goal seemed to take the life out of the Pirates. Golden West

had been maintaining a two-goal lead throughout and when it went up 9-6,

the Pirates were set to bring themselves within two.

However, Golden West’s Trevor Warzynski scored one of his game-high

five goals on a busted play. He caught the Pirates off guard when he

threw in an easy goal from seven meters out, after OCC misunderstood an

out-of-bounds call.

“That turned the tide a little bit,” Gall said. “After the out of

bounds, the ball was at seven meters and we thought it was the two. Our

defense just broke down and it kind of got us out of the game.”

The Pirates had been in the game with their first-half performance.

Jeff Sample, Matt McKinney and Greg Worthing, a Newport Harbor High

product, scored two goals each, while Kevin Cooney and Kyle Gorham

notched one each.

Worthing, Caine Littrell and goalie Graham Harvey played against their

former coach as former Sailors’ coach Brian Kreutzkamp now guides the

Rustlers. Pirates Phil Birdsong and Mitch Probert were on the Newport

Harbor swim team.

The game was like a Sailors reunion as Golden West featured goalie

Brandon McLain, who along with Worthing and Littrell were on last year’s

CIF Southern Section Division I championship team.

“That was just weird,” Kreutzkamp said of facing his former players.

“It’s strange. I know them and all of their tendencies. I thought they

played very well. Worthing was able to get two on me.”

Said Worthing, “It was awkward to play against him. He’s a great

coach. When you play against his team, you know it’s going to be tough.

(But) we saw that our defense works when we run it properly. I thought we

did a great job of stepping up to them.”

The Pirates could possibly meet the Rustlers again. After OCC plays in

the Mini-Ventura Tournament today, the Pirates will compete in the Cuesta

Tournament, Friday and Saturday, which will include Golden West.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN’S WATER POLO

Golden West 15, Orange Coast 8

Golden West 4 3 5 3 - 15

Orange Coast 3 2 3 0 - 8

GW - Warzynski 5, Lazerath 2, Tighe 2, Gonzalez, Turpstra, McCleare,

Lidyoff, Wagner, Lee.

OCC - Sample 2, Worthing 2, McKinney, 2, Cooney, Gorham.

Saves - McLain (GW) 7; Harvey (OCC) 10.