CdM falls to Mater Dei

The Rodosky family is all big Chicago Cubs fans, so one can imagine what this week has been like for them.

Steve and Kim Rodosky took five of their six children to Game 4 and Game 5 of the World Series last weekend at Wrigley Field. The only one who stayed behind in Newport Beach was Will, a Corona del Mar High senior co-captain of the boys’ water polo team who had practice.

“I’ve been a Cubs fan my whole life,” said Will Rodosky, who watched on television Wednesday as the Cubs claimed their first world championship in 108 years. “My dad was a die-hard Cubs fan growing up in Chicago. It feels good to not be a ‘bandwagoner,’ be a part of it without just jumping in last year. We’ve been supporting them for a while.”

Rodosky had his own spectacular performance Friday night against Mater Dei. He had a season-high six goals and added two assists, accounting for eight of CdM’s nine goals. It just wasn’t quite enough to beat the Monarchs, who claimed a 12-9 victory in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Mater Dei, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division 1, and No. 8-ranked CdM await the release of the Division 1 brackets on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Newport Beach resident Jackson Seybold, Cameron Reagan and Ian Minsterman all scored two goals to lead Mater Dei (21-6), which avenged an overtime loss to CdM in the South Coast Tournament quarterfinals on Sept. 23.

“We were excited to play them again, and I thought we played really good water polo tonight leading into CIF,” Mater Dei Coach Chris Segesman said. “If you look at CIF, you’ve got eight teams that can win a championship this year, so we know every game’s going to be important. We’re just trying to go in at full throttle, and I think the guys did that tonight ... CdM’s a great rivalry. We’ve had amazing games in the past, and it’s always fun to come here the last Friday [of the regular season] with a big crowd.”

The other senior co-captain, center Tamir Avital, had three goals and drew at least three exclusions for CdM (20-7). But the Sea Kings struggled on the power play, converting two of eight chances. One of their top weapons with the extra man, senior Will Ueberroth, has been out sick this week and did not play Friday.

“We had to make some adjustments,” CdM Coach Barry O’Dea said. “Ueberroth has been pretty good on that. Those were the big shots he hit on them last time, on six-on-five. That was a big part .... we’re trying to get healthy for the playoffs next Wednesday. [This game was] a good lesson for them going into the playoffs. They need to be able to maintain that level now, for four games.”

Senior goalie Matt Moran-Flores made nine of his 12 saves in the second half for CdM. In Ueberroth’s absence, freshman Tanner Pulice made his first start of the season. Pulice had a steal and also drew a penalty shot on the counterattack in the third quarter.

Rodosky made the shot, cutting CdM’s deficit to 8-5. The Sea Kings would cut their deficit to three goals on four other occasions after that, the last coming when Avital scored with 12 seconds remaining in the game. But they couldn’t get closer.

Still, the Sea Kings believe they will be a dangerous team in a postseason that should be fiercely competitive. Segesman and O’Dea both said they believe that Loyola, which upset top-ranked Harvard-Westlake to win the Mission League title on Wednesday, should receive the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“Although we lost tonight, we have a four-game season left,” Rodosky said. “That’s the way we’ve been looking at it all year. The regular season is a preseason, in a sense ... I think the way we’ve been training and what the coaches are going to prepare for us going into CIF, no one wants to play us. If anyone does, they shouldn’t.”

Rodosky saw how the postseason worked out for the Cubs, and can hope for a similar ending to his high school water polo career.