Sea Kings third

Bryce Alderton

Corona del Mar High girls water polo coach Aaron Chaney got his

wish in the third-place game Saturday in the Irvine Southern

California Championships.

Following a 9-7 loss to Foothill in the semifinals, Chaney said he

wanted his team to finish “on a good note.”

The Sea Kings (18-5) obliged with a 6-4 victory over Santa

Margarita.

Senior Christina Hewko, the CIF Southern Section Division IV

Player of the Year last season, led the Sea Kings with three goals,

two in a three-goal second quarter for the designated home team.

Hewko also amassed two steals and assisted on CdM’s first goal by

Brittany Bowlus just 32 seconds into the game. Danielle Carlson

scored twice and had two assists to go with one steal. Carlson, Hewko

and Bowlus, who had an assist, were selected to the all-tournament

team.

CdM built a 5-1 lead at halftime before one goal in the final two

quarters as the defenses took over. Jessica Harkins added two steals

and CdM goalkeeper Brittany Fullen made eight saves.

Santa Margarita’s Erika Figge, also an all-tournament team pick,

scored three goals, two on four-meter penalty shots in the third and

fourth quarters, respectively.

The Sea Kings have now beat the Eagles three times in as many

tries this season.

* Chaney can’t fault his team’s effort against Foothill in the

semifinals.

Trailing, 4-0 in the second period, CdM roared back to pare the

deficit to 6-4 and 7-5, but the Knights fought off the charge.

The Sea Kings scored four goals in the third period, including 2

of 4 on the six-on-fives. Vivian Liao took a cross-pool pass from

Hewko and fired the ball in the left side of the net for her second

goal with 20 seconds left to cut Foothill’s lead to 7-5.

Hewko was a force throughout, scoring once, but more importantly,

adding four assists and three steals, despite being double-teamed

often when in set.

But just as the Sea Kings caught a glimmer of hope, Brittany Hayes

heaved a pass from mid pool into the left side of the goal for a

three-goal lead.

“We crawled back into it, cutting the lead to 7-5 and then to give

up a goal like that ... the game was still ours. I told the girls to

go get three goals,” Chaney said.

Carlson scored twice for CdM and had two assists while DiGiacomo

netted a goal and an assist. Bowlus also scored for the Sea Kings.

DiGiacomo took a pass in set from Hewko and flipped it over her

right shoulder for the Sea Kings’ final goal.

Missed opportunities haunted the Sea Kings, who couldn’t convert

two penalty shots. Feher made 10 saves in goal for Foothill.

“The two penalty shots hurt but what killed us was that no one

wanted to shoot the ball,” Chaney said. “But in the last

two-and-a-half quarters we outplayed them.”

Third place

CdM 6, Santa Margarita 4

Score by Quarters

S. Margarita 1 0 2

1 -- 4

CdM 2 3 1 0

-- 6

SM -- E. Figge 3, Anderson 1. Saves -- O’Connor,

3.

CdM -- Christina Hewko 3, Carlson 2, Bowlus 1. Saves --

Fullen, 8.

Semifinal

Foothill 9, CdM 7

Score by Quarters

CdM 0 1 4 2

-- 7

Foothill 1 4 3 1

-- 9

CdM -- Carlson 2, Liao 2, Christina Hewko 1, Bowlus 1,

DiGiacomo 1. Saves -- Fullen, 3.

Foothill -- Hayes 4, Reynolds 2, Kraus 2, Domanic 1.

Saves -- Feher, 10.