Mesa reigns supreme

Steve Virgen

For the second straight year, the Costa Mesa High girls water polo

team has won at least a share of the Golden West League title.

But most wouldn’t have guessed that with the Mustangs’ reaction

after they clinched at least a share of the league championship

Wednesday. Perhaps that’s because the Mustangs are expecting more.

Costa Mesa (13-8, 5-0 in league) is one win away from winning its

first outright league title in girls water polo, as the Mustangs

overcame a dreary first quarter and defeated Westminster, 9-3, at

Huntington Beach High.

“We just look at it as any other game,” Costa Mesa Coach Tim

Postiff said of his team’s mentality entering its matchup with the

Lions (5-12, 1-4). “They know if they misstep they will not win

league. They approach every game in the same manner.”

Postiff said his players came out flat, scoring one goal in the

first quarter. But the Mustangs produced five goals in the second

quarter as their counterattack proved to be effective. Sophomore

Chandra Malapira scored three goals within the first two minutes of

the second quarter to give the Mustangs a 4-0 lead.

Her first goal was in set. Then she scored twice on

counterattacks, on steals from senior Jessica Steenhard and junior

Sandra Stokes. A minute after Malapira’s third goal, sophomore

Linnsee Pederson connected on an outside shot, and about two minutes

later, junior Sarah Bowman made good on a six-on-five opportunity, as

the Mustangs went out in front, 6-0.

Junior Christine Twohig (two goals) and sophomore Annie Le (one)

also contributed to the Mustangs’ victory. Senior goalie Quyen Nguyen

recorded 10 saves.

Bowman, who Westminster Coach Matt Cain said is the league’s best

player, finished with one goal. She entered the game having scored 20

goals in four league games. But she didn’t have to score Wednesday.

Instead, Malapira and others put points on the scoreboard, while

Bowman drew ejections or dished out an assist.

The Lions were definitely aware of Costa Mesa and Bowman. Last

year, the Mustangs shared the Golden West League title with

Saddleback and Westminster. But with a win over Santa Ana on Feb. 11,

Costa Mea will be the outright champion, a far cry from the results

that came about during the early years of the program.

“The amount of changes the program has made is amazing,” said

Steenhard, whose older sister, Lani, was on the Mustangs’ first girls

water polo team in the 1997-98 school year. “What we have now is so

good. We all know we have come one game closer to being undefeated

and winning league.”

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Golden West League

Costa Mesa 9, Westminster 3

Score by Quarters

Costa Mesa 1 5 2 1 -- 9

Westminster 0 1 0 2 -- 3

Costa Mesa -- Malapira 3, Twohig 2, Pederson 1,

Bowman 1, Le 1, Steenhard 1. Saves -- Nguyen 10.

Westminster -- Schulz 2, Boland 1. Saves -- Diaz 5.

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