CdM tops Rosary, 7-6

Roger Carlson

CORONA DEL MAR - Corona del Mar High freshman Christina Hewko came

up with the steal of her season Tuesday afternoon, igniting a late flurry

which resulted in Danielle Carlson’s fourth goal with 0:04 left as the

host Sea Kings pulled out a 7-6 thriller over third-seeded Rosary.

The CIF Southern Section Division IV girls water polo victory sends

Corona del Mar (19-11) into the semifinals Friday against Santa Monica,

which disposed of second-seeded El Dorado, 6-5, at a site to be

determined.

Hewko’s steal averted a last-second rush on the CdM goal, and she swept

down the pool on a fast break, pulling up and shooting from 12 feet out.

Rosary goalie Jennier McCall was equal to it with a great block, but

Carlson, positioned perfectly to the right of the goal, grabbed the ball

and slipped it past the Rosary goalie for the winner.

Until then, Rosary had never trailed, and the Royals appeared to have

things their way behind the strong shoulders of UCLA-bound Natalie Golda,

who for all intent and purpose, Rosary’s offense.

“We tried to double and triple her,” said CdM Coach John Vargas, “and,”

he continued with a smile, “keep pressure on the ball.”

Golda scored Rosary’s first four goals as the Royals (19-10) pulled out

to leads of 3-1, 5-3 and 6-4. But there was never a knockout blow, thanks

to the quick response of CdM, which fired back to stay within range.

Adding to Carlson’s four goals were two goals from Lauren Gutherie and a

single tally from Melinda Tucker.

In the fourth period the Sea Kings tied it at 5-5 on a Carlson shot from

the right side after goalie Arin Hendrickson’s deep pass to Hewko, who in

turn flipped it to Carlson, who completed the perfect combination.

Gutherie knotted it at 7 apiece with her shot with 3:12 left from 15 feet

out.

Rosary, the defending Division IV champion, called timeout with 37

seconds left to set up the offense, but as the Royals tried to get the

ball into scoring position, Hewko darted in and stole it with 18 seconds

left.

She didn’t bother with timeouts, rather, taking off without pressure and

then pulling up for her shot attempt.

Rosary’s goalie was there, but so was Carlson in the scramble, and CdM

tri-champion of the Pacific Coast League, gained its first lead of the

game with four ticks left.

“We were a little tight at the beginning and even at the end,” Vargas

said. “But the girls did a great job.”

Also with sterling efforts at both ends of the pool were Hayley Hapeman,

Ellen Orbe and Daniela DiGiacomo.

CIF Division IV Playoffs

Quarterfinal

Corona del Mar 7, Rosary 6

Rosary 2 1 2 1 - 6

CdM 1 1 2 3 - 7

Rosary - Golda 4, McCall 1, Monahan 1. Saves - Freyermuth 12.

CdM - Carlson 4, Gutherie 2, Tucker 1. Saves - Hendrickson 14.