Living on the edge

Bryce Alderton

When asked to comment on his team’s comeback effort that came up a

tad shy, Corona del Mar High boys water polo coach Sam Bailey

preferred to look forward.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Bailey said after CdM

erased a 7-3 deficit only to fall, 8-7, to nonleague visitor Long

Beach Wilson Tuesday.

Junior driver Matt Sagehorn’s goal with 1:04 remaining in the

contest secured the victory for the Bruins (3-0) after senior Thomas

Pearson scored three straight second-half goals for CdM (1-2).

Pearson finished with a game-high four goals.

Pearson’s third goal with 5:05 remaining in the fourth period

knotted the game at 7. Walker Russell lobbed the ball to Pearson in

set and he promptly turned and whipped the ball into the left side of

the cage.

The Sea Kings fired six of their 15 second-half shots after

Pearson’s equalizer, but Wilson’s defense thwarted any chance of an

eighth CdM goal. Wilson senior goalkeeper Chay Lapin reached with his

left arm to stop a shot by CdM’s Spencer Pirdy while another Bruin

defender deflected a ball over the Bruins’ goal on a shot by Pearson.

CdM senior goalkeeper Gaston Sanford was equally strong on the

other end, keeping the Sea Kings within striking distance with eight

saves, including a four-meter penalty shot.

Sanford came up with two point-blank saves in the second half. In

the fourth quarter, Sanford floated slightly out of the cage to stop

Anthony Artukovich’s shot with his chest after a breakaway.

“Gaston is the kind of player that feeds of the momentum,” Bailey

said. “He likes the challenge of a 6-on-5, breakaway or open shot. He

likes to make his presence known.”

But a CdM turnover allowed Wilson’s Scott Swanson to connect with

Sagehorn, who tallied three goals, for the game-winner.

“[The Bruins] worked the ball to the right-hand side and ran an

isolation play for [Sagehorn], who is one of the best players in all

of Southern California,” Bailey said.

CdM called timeout with two seconds remaining and had the ball at

mid-pool with a chance to tie. But an entry pass didn’t touch a Sea

King, resulting in a turnover and the game’s end.

“That was the kind of game where both teams play similar styles,

where [the team that wins] will have to beat you at your own game,”

Bailey said. “Both teams took advantage of the other team’s mistakes.

CdM made more mistakes.”

Wilson Coach Tony Martinho, however, said the Sea Kings did many

things right.

“Credit the kids at CdM,” Martinho said. “We’ve played CdM a lot

over the years and I knew they would come back strong. It was a lot

closer than the halftime score [7-4] indicated.”

The Bruins, winners of seven CIF Southern Section titles in eight

years, jumped to a 4-1 lead after one quarter before both teams

scored three times in the second period. CdM pulled to within 5-3

with 1:39 left in the first half when Pearson fired a shot from 10

yards out on an assist by Mike Berry.

Wilson came right back 15 seconds later when Sagehorn scored his

second goal on a penalty shot. Artukovich gave the Bruins a 7-3 lead

with 28 seconds left, but CdM gained some momentum heading into

halftime.

With the clock winding down, Artukovich tipped Jacob Murphy’s

shot, but the ball deflected to Sea King Kyle Hersh, who sent a lob

into the upper reaches of the cage as the horn sounded for the goal,

pulling CdM within 7-4.

Murphy and Bryan Buhagiar each scored single goals for CdM while

Pirdy added two assists.

*--*

Nonleague

Long Beach Wilson 8, Corona del Mar 7

Score by Quarters

Wilson 4 3 0 1 -- 8

CdM 1 3 1 2 -- 7

LB -- Walter 1, Sagehorn 3, Artukovich 1, Swanson

1, Wright 1, Shuck 1. Saves -- Lapin 12. CdM --

Pearson 4, Murphy 1, Buhagiar 1, Hersh 1. Saves --

Sanford 8.

*--*