Boys water polo: No rust on these Sea Kings

Richard Dunn

LAKE FOREST - After a week off from competition, Corona del Mar

High’s boys water polo team appeared ripe for an upset in the eyes of

host El Toro.

But the Sea Kings, top-ranked in Orange County and CIF Southern

Section Division II, had other ideas Tuesday in their 5-4 nonleague

victory.

“Corona del Mar’s (7-0) and riding high, but (it) hadn’t played in

about 10 days,” El Toro Coach Don Stoll said. “But then all of the

sudden, it’s 3-zip. I thought (the Sea Kings) must have been practicing

against the Olympic team. We got down early and that’s what made the

difference.”

Coach John Vargas’ Sea Kings scored on their first possession on a

goal by John Mann, then Mann scored again on a counterattack as CdM built

a 2-0 lead in the opening 1:48.

CdM junior standout Artie Dorr scored from two meters on an assist by

Marcello Pantuliano with 4:31 left in the first quarter as Corona del

Mar, the two-time defending CIF Division II champion, constructed a lead

it would never relinquish.

“I thought we played well,” Vargas said. “We got up, 3-0, and kind of

coasted.”

Matt Grace put El Toro (9-5), ranked No. 4 in Orange County, on the

scoreboard with 0:36 left in the first on a man-advantage goal.

Early in the second quarter, El Toro’s Geoff Wright scored on a lob

shot, but Corona del Mar goalie Sherwin Kim (seven saves) blocked the

next four attempts.

With 2:26 to play in the first half, Mike March gave CdM a 4-2 lead

with a goal from seven meters. Before the halftime buzzer, Kim stopped a

six-on-five shot, and, on the final series, Mann provided a steal to

thwart another El Toro possession.

The Chargers came up short on all seven of their shot attempts in the

third quarter, while Mann extended his team’s lead to 5-2 with 2:25 on

the clock with an outside shot.

Shut out in the third, the Chargers rallied in the fourth to pull

within a goal. In the game’s final scoring series, CdM was whistled for

three ejections, before the Chargers finally capitalized on their man

advantage with 2:22 to play on Brent Danna’s second goal of the fourth

quarter for El Toro.

However, CdM’s defense tightened, led by goalie Beau Stockstill, who

recorded three of his seven saves in the last two minutes.

Stoll called timeout with 0:54 left to set up a play, but Stockstill

blocked Grace’s outside shot and El Toro never got the ball back.

Following a Corona del Mar timeout with 0:22 to play, the Sea Kings

ran out the clock with efficient passing in a spread offense.

“We have good, smart players,” Vargas said of his team’s ability to

play keep-away without turning the ball over. “It’s a controlled attack.

It only looks like we’re going to attack. It helps having the right

players with the ball.”

The Sea Kings, who won the South Coast Tournament last month, had

several shots hit the side posts and crossbar, including March’s attempt

with 1:00 left in the game, when his shot from four meters caromed off

the crossbar.

“We’ve had water polo teams here ranked No. 1 in Orange County

before,” Stoll said. “And certain teams, especially after a long layoff,

just kind of waltz around. Sometimes it’s hard for them to focus. You get

the midseason blues. That’s what I was alluding to in my meeting (Monday)

with the players.”

Despite its unblemished start, Corona del Mar, which plays at Estancia

today in a Pacific Coast League game (3:15), would prefer to subscribe to

the old adage of playing one game at a time.

“This team has size and speed,” Vargas said. “We just have all the

ingredients, but we’re not going to think about the undefeated thing. If

we execute each time out, we should do well.”

CdM will play in the Southern California Tournament Friday and

Saturday.

NONLEAGUE

Corona del Mar 5, El Toro 4

CdM 3 1 1 0 - 5

El Toro 1 1 0 2 - 4 CdM - Mann 3, Dorr 1, March 1. Saves - Kim 7, Stockstill 7.

El Toro - Danna 2, Wright 1, Grace 1. Saves - Randall 5.