Girls’ Water Polo: Mustangs win fourth straight
As the Costa Mesa High girls’ water polo team got off to a slow start Wednesday, students with cameras captured the action near the southwest corner of the Mustangs’ pool deck.
“Canon had sponsored yearbook, so they’re all testing out the cameras,” Costa Mesa Coach Dustin Serrano explained. “I think the girls got a little star struck about having their pictures taken.”
Costa Mesa may have come out a bit sluggish in the Orange Coast League game against Godinez. But with the way the Mustangs are playing lately, they have surely earned a bit of exposure, from cameras or otherwise.
Junior Brenna Alvis and sophomore Alessia Vitiello each scored three goals as Costa Mesa picked up its fourth straight victory, 12-4.
Serrano was happy because Costa Mesa (12-12, 2-1 in league) played well heading into its game against Saddleback next week, which is for second place in league. The Mustangs had balanced scoring against Godinez (0-3 in league).
Senior Tia Gordon had two goals and two steals, while freshman Sofia Rice had two goals and two assists. Rice also drew two exclusions, as did Vitiello, and a penalty shot.
Sophomore Kaylie Tickenoff scored twice for Mesa and junior keeper Michelle Vu made 12 saves. Cassidy Crandall had an assist and a steal for the winners, while Alvis also contributed two steals and an assist.
“I think we’re getting more comfortable playing together, more comfortable with each other’s passing styles and shooting styles,” said Gordon, a defender and the team’s only senior. “It’s just knowing who’s going to be up on the counter, knowing who’s going to be coming back. I think our communication is really coming together as well. We had trouble in the beginning of the season, but I think as we start to mesh together as a team, the communication is more there.”
Godinez opened the scoring on the first possession of the game, as Daisy Nunez found the back of the net. The Mustangs got a bit frustrated early.
“Oh my gosh,” Rice said aloud after missing a long shot from the left wing off the crossbar.
“Get closer,” Serrano told her, and she did, scoring the Mustangs’ first goal on a counterattack with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.
Gordon scored from outside, then Tickenoff added a power-play goal as Mesa took a 3-1 lead after a quarter and never looked back.
Nunez scored twice to lead the Grizzlies, and Stacy Rivera had a goal and four steals.
Gordon said the Mustangs got a lot of confidence after a 10-9 nonleague victory over Santa Ana Valley on Monday. In that game, Crandall, a junior, scored the winning six-on-five goal with just a second left to play.
“I think Santa Ana Valley was a really good game for us, to challenge ourselves, to think that’s going to be more of a Saddleback type of game,” Gordon said. “It was a really good test for us, and us pulling through really gave us that confidence that yeah, we can do it. This is not out of our reach.”
Serrano would agree. He said the team had a big 7-6 win over Tustin in December, but the winter holiday break slowed the Mustangs’ progress a bit.
“But the girls are back on the same road, moving forward,” Serrano said. “The girls are playing as a team, and it’s finally coming together at the right time.”
Costa Mesa plays host to Paramount in a nonleague game Thursday before finishing the regular season at Saddleback on Feb. 10. Saddleback has finished second in the league each of the last two seasons, with Costa Mesa taking third place.
