Mesa seniors won’t be denied

COSTA MESA — Costa Mesa High girls’ water polo seniors Brittany Mucha, Abbie Dyvig and Shyra Crandall have provided leadership all year long for the Mustangs.

But, on Friday at Estancia, it wasn’t just another big game. The game, against Sage Hill School to decide the Orange Coast League’s second playoff spot, was win or possibly go home.

Mesa lives on after its 7-2 win, clinching the spot and a trip to the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs. The Mustangs will find out their first-round opponent when brackets are announced Monday.

All three seniors played a big role against Sage Hill. Crandall and Dyvig combined for three goals and played solid defense, and Mucha, a two-year varsity starter in the cage, made 15 saves.

“I thought they showed a lot of character,” said Coach Tim Postiff of his Mustangs, who clinched their fifth straight trip to CIF, but first in Division II. “We’ve had some tough losses, like the Sage Hill loss [3-2 on Jan. 31], and some tough games against Estancia. I just think they really wanted to win today, because I don’t think the seniors want to stop playing yet.”

Coach Tom Norton said Sage Hill plans to petition for a Division II at-large bid this morning. The Lightning girls, who have never been to CIF, will find out if they get in on Monday.

Talhia Nuñez and Ashley Rendon both scored twice Friday for Costa Mesa (13-12, 4-3 in league), which jumped ahead early on Nuñez’s goal with five minutes, 49 seconds left in the first quarter.

Sage Hill (13-7, 3-4) had trouble getting its offense going early, often settling for long shots deep into the shot clock. Mucha made six saves in the first quarter alone.

Sage Coach Tom Norton said the Mustangs scouted the Lightning’s game at Estancia Wednesday, and he knew it would be tough to beat Costa Mesa. Many Costa Mesa students went to Friday’s game, helping the Mustangs create a home-like atmosphere.

“I knew Costa Mesa was going to be fired up and ready to play,” Norton said. “I just told the girls to go out there and have fun. It’s an exciting time, whether we win or lose.”

But Nuñez added a counterattack goal with 5:46 left in the second quarter, then Dyvig added a goal cross-cage with 2:34 until the half.

Crandall then scored from about seven meters with 25 seconds left in the second, giving Costa Mesa a dominant 4-0 lead at halftime.

“It was just a matter of either team executing, and I think we executed a little bit better today,” Postiff said. “I thought we played solid defense and deflected quite a few of their shots.”

Sage Hill got on the board with six seconds left in the third quarter, when two-meter player Cameron Cline’s shot hit off the inside of the bar and bounced down and just in.

But, for Costa Mesa, strong two-meter defense — mostly played by Crandall — was key all game long.

“They like to isolate with their two-meter player, but I thought we had a good matchup with Shyra,” Postiff said. “I thought Shyra did an excellent job of defending two meters.”

Crandall scored a power-play goal with 5:05 left in the game, but Lightning sophomore Dylan Conroy, who also had two steals, struck on her team’s next possession to narrow the gap to 5-2.

“We’ve had two games this week already, and it’s Friday, so we’re kind of burnt out,” Conroy said. “Some of us were tired today, some of us were nervous, and some of us were excited. We didn’t really channel our energy toward the game, but I think we played the best we could.”

Rendon scored her team’s final two goals to put the game away, the latter coming on a pass from Kassandra Afuang with 24 seconds left in the game.

Liz Simpson had three steals for the Mustangs, and Nuñez and Crandall added two each.

For Sage Hill, senior Anna Carpenter had three steals, and Conroy and Sarah Wesley had two each.

Lightning goalie Jordan Smith-Newman made four saves.

Orange Coast League

Costa Mesa 7, Sage Hill 2

Score by Quarters

Sage Hill 0 0 1 1 — 2

Costa Mesa 1 3 0 3 — 7

Sage Hill -- Conroy 1, Cline 1. Saves -- Smith-Newman 4.

Costa Mesa -- Nuñez 2, Rendon 2, Crandall 2, Dyvig 1. Saves -- Mucha 15.