Estancia remains unbeaten

Barry Faulkner

Third-year coach Bob Bandaruk said his Estancia High girls water polo

team may not yet fully realize how good it can be. But the Eagles,

who improved to 4-0 with a 9-6 nonleague triumph over visiting

Pacifica Monday, at least know they’re better than they have been.

“I had a feeling, coming into the season, we could have a chance

to reach the [CIF Southern Section] playoffs,” said senior Marilyn

Reich, after the Eagles surpassed the win total of last year’s 3-16

unit. “But to see the way we’re playing, gives us a lot more

confidence.”

The Eagles’ pregame confidence Monday was diminished by the loss

of starters Courtney Hess and Melissa Buchmann to illness.

And the Mariners (1-4) appeared capable of halting Estancia’s

early season euphoria, scoring first, then rallying for a 5-4 lead,

before the game entered halftime deadlocked, 5-5.

Pacifica tied the game, 6-6, when co-captain and two-meter

standout Lindsey Price scored her fifth and final goal with 5:29 left

in the third quarter.

But the Eagles, who peppered Pacifica goalie Holly Jones all

afternoon (41 shots, prompting 22 Jones saves), took control from

there, posting the final three goals to push their season scoring

advantage to 47-15.

Pacifica’s scoreless fourth quarter marked the ninth quarter the

Eagles have held an opponent scoreless during 18 periods thus far

(including two overtime sessions against Sage Hill).

Reich, as well as sophomore Chelsea Kaplan, scored three goals

apiece for the winners, while senior co-captain Britta Pitti had two

assists, two steals and one goal.

Sophomore Carolina Barnes added two goals.

Kaplan had four steals and Reich, who won all four sprints to

start the quarter, had three.

Estancia sophomore goalie Katie Mahan had six saves, four in the

final period.

Bandaruk said a second-half adjustment -- assigning a second

defender on Price -- helped turn the tide for the Eagles. He also

said positioning Kaplan, one of the team’s better shooters, behind

Reich, who was consistently double-teamed at two meters, helped open

up some offensive opportunities.

At no point did the Eagles lack shooting chances, though their

initial inability to attack the side of the goal most distant from

the shooter, is something Bandaruk said his team needs work on.

Estancia shooters’ consistent penchant for firing at the short

side of the goal, where Jones was stationed to cut down the angle,

helped the Pacifica keeper collect the majority of her saves.

“We finally did a better job of shooting across the cage in the

second half,” Bandaruk said.

Estancia’s defense away from the ball -- the Eagles blanketed the

Mariners, often leaving Jones no outlet pass to start an offensive

possession -- typified the commitment his players have given to

shutting down the opposition this season.

“Since this is my third season, I just think there’s a

comfortability factor with some of the things I’ve been asking them

to do,” Bandaruk said. “I wanted to create some consistency in the

program and we’re starting to see that.”

Bandaruk’s scheduling, including multiple games against Garden

Grove League schools like Pacifica, has also helped his players feel

good about their progress.

“The Garden Grove League is absolutely a good match for us,” he

said. “We play all the teams in the Garden Grove League except Garden

Grove. It’s part of my plan to keep building slowly. A team can only

take so many 22-0 losses [against powerhouse programs].”

Estancia tries to continue its winning streak Wednesday at home

against La Quinta, another Garden Grove League school.

*--*

Nonleague

Estancia 9, Pacifica 6

Score by Quarters

Pacifica 1 4 1 0 - 6 Estancia 2 3 3 1 - 9

Pacifica - Price 5, Lee 1. Saves - Jones 22.

Estancia - Reich 3, Kaplan 3, Barnes 2, Thaler 1.

Saves - K. Mahan 6.

*--*