Corona del Mar experiences win

CORONA DEL MAR — Even after a tough season-opening loss to Harvard-Westlake on Wednesday, Corona del Mar High boys’ water polo coach Barry O’Dea said he smiled.

He knew it would build experience for his Sea Kings, who lost five starters from last year’s CIF Southern Section Division I semifinalist.

On Friday, the Sea Kings did more than just build experience. They earned a 10-7 nonleague win over Foothill, which also advanced to the CIF Division I semifinals a year ago.

“It’s a good way to start: playing Harvard-Westlake and Foothill,” O’Dea said. “Once we got on a roll today, and the nerves went away, we started to play better.”

Corona del Mar senior Greg Sanford opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game, pump-faking twice, then beating Foothill goalie Jay Lovero.

But Foothill’s Paul Pickell responded with 2:32 left in the first quarter, scoring the first of his five goals.

Foothill took a 2-1 lead early in the second quarter, but Corona del Mar struck back, using goals from Mike Berry, Chris Cottrell, and Jeff Lee to take a 4-3 halftime lead.

“We just got our timing together,” Lee said. “We have a lot of talent; it’s just a matter of coming together and feeding off each other’s energy.”

Senior Ryan Hultman scored with 6:36 left in the third quarter, off a centering pass from Sanford, to give the Sea Kings a 5-3 lead.

Just more than two minutes later, Ryan Kent found the net on Berry’s centering pass and, with 3:45 left in the quarter, Jake Schwartz tipped in the rebound of a Cottrell shot in front for a 7-3 lead.

“It has been a long week,” Berry said. “I think everyone just came into the game low [on energy] and we needed to be more intense. We picked it up in the second half and got some fresh bodies in there off the bench and that helped.”

Senior Omar Mobarek then scored on a nice pass from Cottrell to give the Sea Kings an 8-4 lead that they took into the fourth period.

Foothill never got closer than three after that, partially thanks to CdM senior goalie Brian Peotter, who is in his first varsity season.

“Brian is doing tremendously,” O’Dea said. “He’s one of our strengths, so far, that I’m really happy with.”

Nonleague

Corona del Mar 10, Foothill 7

Score by Quarters

Foothill

1

2

1

3

—

7

CdM

1

3

4

2

— 10

Foothill -- Pickell 5, Hooper 1, Verloot 1. Saves -- Lovero 7.

Corona del Mar -- Berry 3, Hultman 1, Sanford 1, Lee 1, Mobarek 1, Cottrell 1, Schwartz 1, Kent 1. Saves -- Peotter 7.