CdM turned away

IRVINE — For the first time since 2001, the Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team won’t be CIF champions.

An on-fire Montebello team made sure of that Friday night at Irvine High.

The Oilers scored seven times in the first half en route to an 8-7 victory over CdM in a CIF Southern Section Division I semifinal. And, as happy as Sea Kings Coach Aaron Chaney was about his defense in the second half, he was equally frustrated about the lackadaisical defense in the first half.

No. 2-seeded CdM (23-7), a team that lives off its counterattack, was getting beat at its own game by No. 3-seeded Montebello (24-5).

“That was ridiculous,” said Chaney, who suffered his first playoff loss in his six years as Corona del Mar coach (22-1). “To give up seven goals in the first half, that’s where we fell short. We were slow on transition from offense to defense in the first half. That gave them a few counters, and they got goals off of that.”

Corona del Mar seniors Paige O’Brien and Sarah Hutchison scored the game’s first two goals, but Montebello responded with four consecutive strikes to grab a 4-2 lead after a quarter, including a buzzer-beater by Sarah Orozco.

Heather Van Hiel’s goal with 1:12 left in the half, on a pass from senior Taylor Harkins, pulled the Sea Kings within 6-5. But Nancy Ruano scored just 13 seconds later to give the Oilers their 7-5 halftime advantage.

“We didn’t play defense in the first half,” said senior Haley Prickett, who had two goals and four steals for CdM. “We were in over our heads. We weren’t executing the way we were used to, and it threw us off.”

Chaney switched goalies at halftime, going with sophomore Kate Baldoni. She allowed just one goal in the second half.

After Prickett scored off her steal with 1:57 left in the third quarter, cutting the Oilers’ lead to 7-6, Kimberly Romero immediately answered on Montebello’s next possession.

Leilani Livingston scored on Katie Indvik’s pass with three seconds left in the quarter, again bringing CdM within a single goal. But neither team would score in the final quarter.

Montebello goalie Brittany Connell snuffed out one last CdM counterattack with 20 seconds left in the game, allowing the Oilers to run the clock out.

Chaney said he wasn’t only disappointed that the Sea Kings’ run of five straight section titles has come to a close.

“This team has prided itself on defense all year long,” he said. “I’m disappointed because we gave up seven goals in the first half.”

CdM’s season is likely still not over. The Sea Kings should make the inaugural CIF Master’s tournament, March 2-3 at Irvine High.

“That doesn’t matter,” Prickett said. “I guess we get to play more, but all we wanted was that ring.”

CIF Southern Section Division ISemifinal

Montebello 8, Corona del Mar 7

Score by Quarters

Montebello 4 3 1 0 — 8

CdM 2 3 2 0 — 7

Montebello -- P. Orozco 3, S. Orozco 2, Ruano 2, Romero 1. Saves -- Connell 4.

Corona del Mar -- Livingston 2, Prickett 2, Van Hiel 1, O’Brien 1, Hutchison 1. Saves -- Murphy 2, Baldoni 4.