Saints go marching over Eagles

Bryce Alderton

The Santa Ana High boys water polo team has become quite a thorn in

the collective side of Estancia and its dreams of reaching the CIF

Southern Section Division II playoffs the past two years.

Santa Ana helped dash Estancia’s CIF playoff ambitions a year ago

and both teams entered Tuesday’s Golden West League clash in the

Eagles’ pool with similar postseason implications on the line.

And for the second straight year the Saints prevailed, this time

jumping to a 3-0 lead and holding on for an 8-5 victory that puts the

Eagles’ playoff hopes in jeopardy.

Santa Ana (13-11, 3-2 in league) moved into a tie with Estancia

(10-9, 3-2) for third place in league, but more importantly, gained

the tiebreaker edge for the third guaranteed CIF berth should both

squads finish with identical league records. Estancia hosts

league-champion Costa Mesa (5-0) Tuesday while Santa Ana battles

Orange in each squad’s final league contest. Saddleback entered play

Tuesday 3-1 in league.

The Saints’ aggressiveness routinely smothered the Eagles, who

didn’t help their cause by committing at least 20 offensive fouls,

said Estancia Coach John Carpenter, who compared Tuesday’s game to

last year’s contest between the two teams.

“This was a repeat of last year [a 10-8 Santa Ana victory],”

Carpenter said. “[The Saints] did a good job driving to the ball side

and running picks that our guys had a tough time adapting to. I told

[the Eagles before the game] that if we didn’t match [the Saints’]

aggressiveness it would be a long afternoon.”

Santa Ana’s Alvaro Alvarado tallied two of his four goals in the

first quarter as the visitors took advantage of five Estancia

turnovers to take a three-goal lead.

Chad Kunert matched Alvarado with four goals for the Eagles while

teammate C.J. Buchmann tallied one. But the Eagles got no closer than

4-2 and 5-3 the entire contest.

Santa Ana opened an 8-3 cushion with two goals from Pedro Vera in

the third period before Kunert capped the quarter with his final two

goals.

The teams traded turnovers several times in the fourth quarter

while Estancia stuck with its counterattack.

Kunert often led sprints into the Saints’ zone and fired two shots

from the wing, but to no avail, in the fourth quarter. Santa Ana’s

J.P. Gutierrez raced back to block one of Kunert’s fourth-quarter

blasts.

The Saints often double teamed Estancia’s two-meter men in set and

often defended with a 3-3 zone.

“Santa Ana’s defense tightened in the end,” Carpenter said. “I

told our kids [at the start of the fourth quarter] to go back to a

driving offense, but that takes a lot out of you.”

Estancia goalkeeper Richard McElveny tallied eight saves,

including two shots that trickled inches from crossing into the cage.

Buchmann added two assists while Sean Goodman added one for the

Eagles.

Santa Ana Coach Jason Hollingshead was relieved his team held on

against the speedy Eagles.

“When the game is physical, you tend to rush a bit and not get

quality shots,” said Hollingshead, who added that the Eagles are much

improved from a year ago. “The [defense on Estancia’s] counterattack

was the most important because the Eagles are faster than we are.”

Carpenter said the Eagles didn’t match the Saints’ aggressiveness

early, but was pleased with his team’s effort.

“Down, 8-3, we didn’t fold,” Carpenter said. “If nothing else, we

will learn from this and not do the same things to ourselves.”

The Eagles host their remaining three games -- nonleague contests

against Los Amigos Thursday and Mater Dei Monday before facing Costa

Mesa.