CdM dominates Chargers

LAKE FOREST — With three minutes, three seconds left in the third quarter, Corona del Mar High senior Katie Indvik showed just what type of day it was for the Sea Kings.

She attempted a skip-shot goal to beat the shot clock. Only the ball floated on top of the water, more than it skipped, but it still went in. Everything seemed to be going the Sea Kings’ way.

“That was lucky,” Indvik said.

But the second-seeded CdM girls’ water polo team was also good, actually it was dominant in eliminating El Toro, 11-2, in a quarterfinal of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs Tuesday.

Up next for the Sea Kings: Montebello, a 13-12, overtime-winner over Long Beach Wilson. CdM and Montebello, which have split this season, will play Friday at Irvine High at a time to be determined today.

Indvik’s goal gave CdM a 7-0 lead and it grabbed its largest lead, 8-0, after senior Sarah Hutchison scored her third goal. Her shot banged off the left post and the ball slowly spun on top of the water and in behind the right post.

Realistically, the Sea Kings (23-6) looked like they had already put the game out of reach in the first half, when they led 5-0. With goals from the outside, on the counterattack and at two meters, the Chargers (16-14) hardly had an answer.

“They’re a polished team,” El Toro Coach Don Stoll said. “They understand how to win, they understand what’s at stake and they’re all business. They’re five-time CIF champs. I know they are in a different division now, but that’s big.”

CdM won the past four titles in CIF Division II and moved up to Division I this season.

“They want do something that no other team has done,” Sea Kings Coach Aaron Chaney said. “But that’s still far away. We still have to play [Montebello] Friday.”

To help his players keep the blinders on, Chaney gave some words to live by. Aim for achievement instead of success. That’s one of the statements he plans to give them each day this week.

“The idea was to take care of one thing today and don’t think about what’s down the road,” Chaney said.

Yet, that’s hard to do when the Sea Kings delivered a near-flawless performance.

In addition to Hutchison’s three goals, Indvik, Leilani Livingston and Taylor Harkins added two each. CdM goalie Kate Murphy recorded eight saves.

CIF Southern Section

Division I Playoffs

Quarterfinal

Corona del Mar 11, El Toro 2

Score by Quarters

CdM 2 3 3 3 — 11

El Toro 0 0 0 2 — 2

Corona del Mar -- Hutchison 3, Indvik 2, Livingston 2, Harkins 2, Levine 1, Kennedy 1. Saves -- Murphy 8, Baldoni 2.

El Toro -- Luedloff 1, Todisco 1. Saves -- Campoli 4.