CdM nearly takes crown, losing in OT of title match

IRVINE — The Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team knows it can play against Foothill, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division I.

The Sea Kings proved it again Saturday in the Irvine Southern California Championships title game at Irvine High.

And, if CdM needed more motivation headed into the Division I playoffs, the Sea Kings’ 5-4 overtime loss certainly provided it. Jessica Kutcher scored the game-winning goal with 2:06 left in the first overtime period.

Corona del Mar (19-6), ranked No. 3 in Division I, is now 0-3 this season against Foothill (23-1). The last two losses have come in overtime in major tournaments.

“We’ve got Foothill thinking about us,” CdM Coach Aaron Chaney said. “You definitely want to beat them, and the one time to beat them is in CIF. We’d really like to have that chance.”

The Sea Kings had more than a chance on Saturday — they had a 3-0 lead on the stunned Knights after a quarter. Seniors Katie Indvik and Sarah Hutchison both scored power-play goals, sandwiched between a straightaway goal from five meters by Heather Van Hiel.

Hutchison, who made the all-tournament team along with Van Hiel, said the strong start was key.

“We like to set the pace of the game, and we definitely did that today, she said.”

But CdM knew that Foothill wouldn’t be held scoreless for long. Yet, what was puzzling was the Sea Kings offense’s sudden disappearing act.

After the first quarter, Corona del Mar went over 18 minutes before scoring again on Cari Levine’s goal with 2:34 left in regulation.

“I don’t really know what it was a lack of, or what they did,” Levine said. “Our offense just slowed down in the middle of the game, and their perimeter shooting picked up.”

Chaney said his team might have been surprised to be up by so much, so early in the game.

“They don’t expect to be up 3-0 in the first quarter against Foothill,” he said. “So now, all of a sudden you are, and you’re not quite sure how to play. I’ve seen it from a lot of teams in a lot of sports. UCLA lost to Stanford last week [in men’s college basketball], they lost a 17-point lead. The momentum just shifted really quick in that third quarter.”

The third quarter belonged to Foothill, as the Knights scored three times to grab a 4-3 lead.

But Levine’s goal in the fourth quarter on Van Hiel’s pass evened the score, and neither team could score again before overtime.

Haley Prickett had a chance with 25 seconds left in regulation, but her two-meter shot was just tipped by Foothill’s Brittany Zwirner, which allowed goalie Amber Oland to barely make a leaping grab.

Prickett fought hard all game long against Foothill’s physical Emily Klug, who serves as both the Knights’ two-meter offensive player and two-meter defender.

“It’s unusual playing against someone who’s stronger than I am, because usually the defenders will be smaller,” Prickett said. “It’s a lot harder.”

Corona del Mar only managed one shot in the first overtime period — Levine’s desperation heave at the buzzer.

And, though CdM had a six-on-five opportunity in the second overtime, a shot was wide right.

The Sea Kings had one last chance, getting the ball back with 48 seconds left, but a shot was blocked and Foothill ran the time down.

“This has been the hardest week in our history, in terms of the games we’ve had to play,” said Foothill Coach Dave Mikesell, whose team beat El Toro in a league game Wednesday and also took out Marina, Santa Margarita, Coronado and Laguna Beach in the tournament.

“CdM really prepared well for this game. What changed [after the first quarter] was not coaching. The kids reached down into their souls, so to speak, and pulled it out.”

Hutchison scored three goals in a 9-6 win over Agoura in the semifinals Saturday morning.

The Sea Kings never trailed, but had a season-high 14 exclusions called on them. Agoura (20-6), ranked No. 2 in Division II, scored all but one of its goals on the power play, but CdM avenged a nonleague loss to the Chargers on Dec. 15.

“I didn’t agree with a lot of the calls,” said Chaney, who received a yellow card in the game along with Agoura Coach Jason Rosenthal. “But we had good pressure defense, and we were real patient on offense and countering. [Agoura] got tired.”

Irvine Southern California

Corona del Mar -- Indvik 1, Van Hiel 1, Levine 1, Hutchison 1. Saves -- Murphy 8.

Foothill -- McLain 2, Bustard 1, Klug 1, Kutcher 1. Saves -- Oland 8.

Irvine Southern CaliforniaSemifinal

Agoura -- Schmachtenberger 2, Car. Clark 1, Cas. Clark 1, Flacks 1, Cognata 1. Saves -- Gralitzer 10.

Corona del Mar -- Hutchison 3, Indvik 2, Van Hiel 2, Peotter 1, Prickett 1. Saves -- Murphy 6.

Championships

Corona del Mar 9, Agoura 6

Championships

Championship game

Foothill 5, Corona del Mar 4 (OT)