CdM close, but not enough
Steve Virgen
In a game of inches it seemed only fitting that the Corona del Mar
High boys water polo team came up short in its quest to defeat Long
Beach Wilson, the No. 1 team in CIF Division I, Tuesday.
The Sea Kings, ranked No. 3 in CIF Division I, is seemingly inches
away from becoming the team that they’re capable of. In the meantime,
Wilson (3-0) displayed its prowess and pulled away from an 8-7 lead
with 90 seconds left and won, 10-7, in nonleague action.
“We definitely played much better (than in last week’s loss at
Harvard-Westlake),” CdM Coach Tim Salvino said. “(Tuesday was) one of
those things where the ball didn’t seem to bounce our way. Couple of
goals deflected off our own guys and went in. What can you do?”
Trailing 8-5 in the fourth quarter the Sea Kings (2-2) scored two
goals in a 73-second span to pull within one. After a Wilson
turnover, CdM goalie Beau Stockstill (nine saves) hurled a lead pass
to senior Artie Dorr on the break. Dorr finished for the goal with
2:46 remaining. Then, senior two-meter man John Mann scored his
game-high fifth goal on a six-on-five situation. Mann’s shot went off
the hand of Brent Labounty, the Bruins’ goalie, and into the cage.
After a Wilson timeout the Bruins scored two goals in 27 seconds,
the final goal went off a CdM player and into the Sea Kings’ net.
“I feel really confident because that was our fourth game and
we’re still learning how to play with each other,” Mann said. “Every
game we’re getting better. By the end of the season we’ll be great.
We’re totally confident that we can beat (Wilson). We just need more
time.”
Mann said he needs more time to gel with his teammates, and vice
versa, since he did not train with the Sea Kings during the summer.
Mann trained with the U.S. junior national team in Russia and also
played in the Florida Pan American Games. Wilson senior Thomas Hale,
who scored three goals Tuesday, was also on the junior national team.
Mann scored his first goal on a four-meter penalty shot, of which
he created, with 5:20 left in the first period, tying the score, 1-1.
Wilson answered with a two-goal run to end the quarter. CdM fired off
just two shots in the opening period, and one was the penalty shot.
Dorr drew his first of three Wilson kick-outs, but the Sea Kings
could not capitalize late in the first period. CdM scored only once
on its six extra-man opportunities.
John Money cut CdM’s deficit to, 3-2, after his skip shot from the
outside, with 3:40 left in the first half. One minute later, Dorr
drew a penalty in set. Mann scored the four-meter to tie the score,
3-3, with 2:32 remaining.
But, Clint Wilson, one of 12 seniors on the Bruins’ roster, scored
from set with 42 seconds left.
CdM tied the score yet again, 4-4, after Mann scored from two
meters, off an entry pass from Dorr. Wilson came back with two
unanswered goals netted by Hale, off a six-on-five situation, and a
counterattack.
Mann threw one in the cage from the outside, to make it 6-5,
Wilson. Bruin senior Garrit Barth scored two goals before the third
quarter ended.
“It’s not all that bad considering we played the No. 1 team in CIF
Division I,” Salvino said.
NONLEAGUE
LB Wilson 10, Corona del Mar 7
Score by Quarters
LB Wilson 3 1 4
2 - 10
Corona del Mar 1 2 2
2 - 7
Wilson -- Hale 3, Barth 3, Wilson 3, Foster 1. Saves --
Labounty 5.
CdM -- Mann 5, Money 1, Dorr 1. Saves -- Stockstill 9.
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