No more freelancing for Sage

CORONA DEL MAR — Andrew Dorne and Perry Pang passed the ball back and forth several times like a hot potato.

Neither Sage Hill School boys’ water polo player seemed to want to shoot. But with the time ticking down on a fourth-quarter, six-on-five advantage, the freshman Dorne finally took aim.

He scored in the bottom-left corner with 5:24 left in the game, lifting the Lightning to a 5-4 win over Costa Mesa on Wednesday night at Corona del Mar High.

Although there’s still a week left in the regular season, the Lightning clinched second place in the Orange Coast League with the win. With it comes an automatic CIF Southern Section Division II playoff berth for Sage Hill, which was in Division VI last season and had to qualify for the playoffs as a freelance team.

“I told the guys before the year, ‘We’re playing with the big boys now,’” Lightning Coach Tom Norton said. “It’s definitely a great accomplishment. I’m looking forward to CIF; it’s a whole new season in the playoffs. Anything can happen.”

Apparently, the same is true whenever Sage Hill (15-3, 3-2 in league) and Costa Mesa (9-15, 2-3) hook up. Wednesday’s thriller was the second straight meeting decided by a single goal, after the Lightning’s 11-10 sudden-death overtime win on Oct. 4.

Costa Mesa came into the rematch needing a win to keep its postseason dreams alive, but it wasn’t to be. John Roche had one last chance, but his steal and subsequent shot with six seconds remaining skipped wide right.

“They fought,” Mustangs Coach Robert Grayeli said. “It was great to see John, a senior, have that chance, even if it didn’t go in. I’m proud of these guys; they learned a lot this year. They’re doing things they weren’t doing four months ago.”

Sage Hill struck first with 5:48 left in the first quarter, when Jimmy Miller scored on a steal and pass from Beau Caillouette. But Costa Mesa answered 34 seconds later, when Roche scored from the two-meter position.

But the Lightning added goals from Caillouette and Tucker Pettis to grab a 3-1 lead after a quarter. They were also aided by goalie Danny Harold’s save of Sam Edman’s five-meter penalty shot for Costa Mesa.

Harold had a busy night, finishing with 15 saves for Sage Hill.

“Everyone was super-pumped up,” he said. “We had a big carbo-loaded lunch today, where some moms brought in food. We were just in the zone coming to the pool tonight. Especially as a goalie, where so much of the game is mental, that really plays a big part.”

Roche scored again with 1:11 left in the second quarter, pulling Costa Mesa within 3-2 at halftime.

After Caillouette scored a penalty shot with 3:25 left in the third quarter, the Lightning had a 4-2 lead. But Costa Mesa again responded, getting a tip-in goal from Skyler Twohig with 1:35 left, then, just 55 seconds later, a penalty five-meter goal from Twohig.

The pair of goals tied the game at four-all going into the fourth quarter.

Roche, one of four seniors on the team along with goalie Scott Neslage, Ernie Carbajal and Peter Pham, said he was very proud of his teammates’ efforts.

“The chances that we had, we couldn’t put away,” Roche said. “But that doesn’t really matter to me. [My teammates], they played their hearts out. I’m very proud of the hard work they put in.”

Grayeli said Costa Mesa executed its game plan in holding Caillouette and Miller to three combined goals — the duo had scored nine goals in the teams’ first meeting.

Norton said getting a wide range of scorers, though, was also part of Sage Hill’s plan.

“It’s kind of like basketball,” Norton said. “Kobe Bryant has 81 points and you barely win. But if you have two or three players in double-digits, you definitely do well. We had four players score tonight, and Costa Mesa had two. That’s definitely something we’re working on going into CIF, to get more guys involved in the offense.”

Caillouette said it was great to see the Lightning step up and advance to the playoffs.

“We were Division VI last year, playing no-name programs,” Caillouette said. “In Division II, we’re playing teams like Laguna Beach and Costa Mesa, teams that have been around for a long time. We’re in our first year in Division II and we’re going to CIF. That’s definitely reassuring.”

Orange Coast League

Sage Hill 5, Costa Mesa 4

Score by Quarters

Costa Mesa 1 1 2 0 — 4 Sage Hill 3 0 1 1 — 5

Costa Mesa -- Roche 2, Twohig 2. Saves -- Neslage 13.

Sage Hill -- Caillouette 2, Miller 1, Pettis 1, Dorne 1. Saves -- Harold 15.