CdM close, but not enough

Steve Virgen

In a game of inches it seemed only fitting that the Corona del Mar

High boys water polo team came up short in its quest to defeat Long

Beach Wilson, the No. 1 team in CIF Division I, Tuesday.

The Sea Kings, ranked No. 3 in CIF Division I, is seemingly inches

away from becoming the team that they’re capable of. In the meantime,

Wilson (3-0) displayed its prowess and pulled away from an 8-7 lead

with 90 seconds left and won, 10-7, in nonleague action.

“We definitely played much better (than in last week’s loss at

Harvard-Westlake),” CdM Coach Tim Salvino said. “(Tuesday was) one of

those things where the ball didn’t seem to bounce our way. Couple of

goals deflected off our own guys and went in. What can you do?”

Trailing 8-5 in the fourth quarter the Sea Kings (2-2) scored two

goals in a 73-second span to pull within one. After a Wilson

turnover, CdM goalie Beau Stockstill (nine saves) hurled a lead pass

to senior Artie Dorr on the break. Dorr finished for the goal with

2:46 remaining. Then, senior two-meter man John Mann scored his

game-high fifth goal on a six-on-five situation. Mann’s shot went off

the hand of Brent Labounty, the Bruins’ goalie, and into the cage.

After a Wilson timeout the Bruins scored two goals in 27 seconds,

the final goal went off a CdM player and into the Sea Kings’ net.

“I feel really confident because that was our fourth game and

we’re still learning how to play with each other,” Mann said. “Every

game we’re getting better. By the end of the season we’ll be great.

We’re totally confident that we can beat (Wilson). We just need more

time.”

Mann said he needs more time to gel with his teammates, and vice

versa, since he did not train with the Sea Kings during the summer.

Mann trained with the U.S. junior national team in Russia and also

played in the Florida Pan American Games. Wilson senior Thomas Hale,

who scored three goals Tuesday, was also on the junior national team.

Mann scored his first goal on a four-meter penalty shot, of which

he created, with 5:20 left in the first period, tying the score, 1-1.

Wilson answered with a two-goal run to end the quarter. CdM fired off

just two shots in the opening period, and one was the penalty shot.

Dorr drew his first of three Wilson kick-outs, but the Sea Kings

could not capitalize late in the first period. CdM scored only once

on its six extra-man opportunities.

John Money cut CdM’s deficit to, 3-2, after his skip shot from the

outside, with 3:40 left in the first half. One minute later, Dorr

drew a penalty in set. Mann scored the four-meter to tie the score,

3-3, with 2:32 remaining.

But, Clint Wilson, one of 12 seniors on the Bruins’ roster, scored

from set with 42 seconds left.

CdM tied the score yet again, 4-4, after Mann scored from two

meters, off an entry pass from Dorr. Wilson came back with two

unanswered goals netted by Hale, off a six-on-five situation, and a

counterattack.

Mann threw one in the cage from the outside, to make it 6-5,

Wilson. Bruin senior Garrit Barth scored two goals before the third

quarter ended.

“It’s not all that bad considering we played the No. 1 team in CIF

Division I,” Salvino said.

NONLEAGUE

LB Wilson 10, Corona del Mar 7

Score by Quarters

LB Wilson 3 1 4

2 - 10

Corona del Mar 1 2 2

2 - 7

Wilson -- Hale 3, Barth 3, Wilson 3, Foster 1. Saves --

Labounty 5.

CdM -- Mann 5, Money 1, Dorr 1. Saves -- Stockstill 9.