Harvard-Westlake too strong for Sea Kings, 10-7

Steve Virgen

Coaches from Corona del Mar High and Harvard-Westlake called

Thursday’s nonleague boys water polo matchup between the Sea Kings

and the Wolverines an early-season test. That test also turned out to

be a slugfest, as two of the top heavyweights in CIF Southern Section

Division I went toe-to-toe in a very physical contest.

Harvard-Westlake (6-0), ranked No. 2 in CIF Division I, won Round

1 with an aggressive defense that led to a 10-7 victory over the

visiting Sea Kings, the third-ranked squad in Division I. The matchup

drew scouts from the University of Pepperdine and Stanford, as

Cardinal assistant coach Brian Kreutzkamp, the former Newport Harbor

head man, watched and took notes.

“It’s always this way (a physical game) when you play Harvard;

that’s exactly what I expected,” said Salvino, the Sea Kings’

first-year coach who had been a longtime assistant with the program.

“We should have capitalized on the six-on-five. They’ve already

played five games, so that’s advantageous for them. But, I’m not

making excuses. They are solid.”

Perhaps the difference in the game came in the extra-man

situations. The Sea Kings (1-1) failed to take advantage of their

six-on-five sets, while the Wolverines intensified their defense with

a man down. Corona scored twice out of its six opportunities when it

had the extra player.

CdM senior Artie Dorr drew four of the Wolverine kick-outs, and

senior John Mann created two Harvard ejections. Dorr, who scored one

goal, also drew a four-meter penalty with 4:09 left in the second

period. Mann, who led the Sea Kings with three goals, netted the

four-meter to tie the score, 3-3.

“You just have to be aware of Artie and Mann,” Harvard Coach Rich

Corso said. “You can’t give them an inch because they’ll make you

pay.”

The Sea Kings used their troublesome tandem of Dorr and Mann to

build a 2-1 lead early in the first quarter. CdM scored on its first

two shots, as Dorr scored from set off an entry pass from Mann, that

tied the score, 1-1 with a little over a minute spent. Then one

minute later, Dorr tossed a pass to Mann in set and Mann finished it

for a 2-1 lead. CdM driver Jason DiRocco recorded three steals in the

opening period, as the Sea Kings held their lead.

However, the Wolverines outscored CdM, 4-1, in the second period

to grab the momentum and a 5-3 halftime advantage. The Sea Kings came

as close as one, trailing, 8-7, with 3:55 in the fourth. After, a

Beau Stockstill save, Mann fed a nice pass to John Money on a

counterattack and Money scored in front of the net.

Stockstill, the Sea Kings’ goalie, recorded eight saves.

CdM countered again, 35 seconds after Money’s goal, when Money

found Jason DiRocco, who threw one in the cage on an outside shot,

and the Sea Kings trailed, 8-7.

Then, after calling a timeout, Harvard-Westlake scored after crisp

ball movement for a 9-7 lead with 2:40 left. The Wolverines scored

again with 56 seconds remaining. Senior Marty Matthies led Harvard

with three goals.

“I tip my hat to (Salvino); he’s one of the few guys in Orange

County who will come out here and play us,” Corso said.

“There’s no life (water polo) north of the 605. That’s why it’s

great to play them. They are by far the best team we played this

season. I wouldn’t doubt if this is the matchup in the semifinals or

the finals of the CIF playoffs.”

Salvino and the Sea Kings displayed a calm mood after the loss.

They realized their No. 3 ranking is fair and they are one of the

elite teams in CIF Division I, Salvino said.

NONLEAGUE

Harvard-Westlake 10, CdM 7

Score by Quarters

CdM 2 1 2 2

-- 7

Harvard 1 4 3

2 -- 10

CdM -- Mann 3, Dorr 1, Moore 1, Money 1, J. DiRocco 1.

Saves -- Stockstill 8.

Harvard-Westlake -- Matthies 3, Delgadillo 2, Warner 2,

Berman 1, Flacks 1, Schwimer 1. Saves -- Connolly 5.