CdM seeks three-peat

Steve Virgen

The Corona del Mar High Sea Kings have a lot going for them as they

are on pace to win their third straight CIF Southern Section girls

water polo championship.

Corona del Mar Coach Aaron Chaney said the Sea Kings have a

balanced attack, a great goalie and plenty of confidence as they head

into the CIF Division II title match against Peninsula at Belmont

Plaza tonight at 8:15 p.m.

But there is more.

The Sea Kings (21-9) are the top seed in Division II and they have

easily defeated the common opponents that pushed Peninsula, the No. 2

seed, in the playoffs. The Panthers (25-4), who are making the

program’s first appearance in a CIF final, scored a 3-0 win over

University in the quarterfinals at El Toro High, where Chaney

watched. Peninsula edged Laguna Beach, 4-2, in the semifinals.

Corona del Mar defeated Uni and Laguna Beach by identical 9-4

scores on its way to the Pacific Coast League title. The Sea Kings

have won or shared the PCL championship the past five years,

including three straight outright titles.

Last year, Corona del Mar cruised past visiting Peninsula, 13-3,

in an early-season, nonleague game. Also, after winning the CIF

Division IV title in 2002 and the Division II title last year, the

Sea Kings are eager to win their third straight championship, this

time without highly regarded players, Christina Hewko, Danielle

Carlson, Brittney Bowlus and Danielle DiGiacomo, who led CdM the past

two years.

This year, the Sea Kings are led by junior goalie Brittany Fullen

(265 saves), as well as seniors Katya Eadington, who has scored a

team-high 56 goals, and Vivian Liao, second on the squad with 41

goals. Juniors Jordan Anae (38 goals) and Katlin Kubas (36), as well

as sophomore Camille Hewko (40), Christina’s younger sister, are also

offensive threats.

“Our strength is in our numbers,” said Chaney, in his third year

with the Sea Kings. “We just have a real well-rounded team. There are

a lot of people who contribute to our offense and that includes our

goalie. Our defense has been really great lately, definitely headed

by Fullen. Our speed and our counterattack are great as well.”

Chaney also said the team chemistry and camaraderie are as strong

as they have been the past two years. The players have given each

another nicknames.

Plus, there are players with CIF experience, including seniors Amy

Strack, Tracy Kubas, Natalie Wayte and Kelsey McCormick, a goalie.

The Sea Kings also include juniors Lauren McAdams, Katie Lemmerman

and Madison Jackson, sophomores Chelsea Lyman and Ashley Chandler, as

well as freshmen Sarah Hutchison, Katie Indvik, Leilani Livingston,

Taylor Harkins, Cari Levine and Holly Van Hiel.

“There are more similarities than there are differences,” Chaney

said of comparing this year’s team to the squads of the past two

seasons. “They have played well. They get along well and that’s a

function of them playing well together.”

However, Chaney said the Sea Kings have weaknesses.

“Execution,” he said. “We have to put the ball in the goal. We

have had a lot of scoring opportunities, but we’re not taking

advantage of them.”

Chaney did point out his team improved in that area in its 13-6

victory over Canyon of Anaheim in the semifinals Wednesday. Eadington

scored five goals in the Sea Kings’ most convincing win of the

playoffs.

They defeated Sunny Hills, 10-5, in the first round, when they

were a bit anxious in the first half.

Then, CdM struggled in the first half against Villa Park, but

still collected a 7-4 victory over the Spartans, in a rematch of last

year’s Division II final. Villa Park featured an outstanding

performance by its goalie, Kristen Davis, who helped her team stay in

the game. It was tied, 2-2, early in the third quarter.

Peninsula, champion of the Bay League, is also led by its goalie,

Natalie Kim, who has been stopping a little more than 70% of shots

that have come her way, Panthers Coach Mitch Yamamoto said.

“[The Panthers] run a real tight press defense,” Chaney said.

Chaney did not make any predictions, but said his team enters the

CIF Division II final with confidence, something most of the players

were short on when the season began. Chaney said his team started to

play with confidence in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions,

Jan. 16-17.

The Sea Kings finished fifth in the tourney. Their victories

included a 6-5 win over Los Alamitos in the fifth-place game.

Chandler scored a sudden-death goal in overtime to key the victory.