CdM prevails, 8-7

Bryce Alderton

Somehow, in some way Corona del Mar High girls water polo player

Daniela DiGiacomo knew she would be a part of the play that ended up

resulting in the game-winning goal. She didn’t know how or why. It

happened so quickly, but the senior occupied the right place -- in

front of the net -- to score the game winning goal in the Sea Kings’

8-7 nonleague win over visiting Santa Margarita Saturday afternoon in

front of a crowd of 200.

The ball just found DiGiacomo. Junior Katya Eadington rifled a

shot from 10 meters that hit the cross bar and bounced fortuitously

to DiGiacomo, who put it in net with 43.6 seconds to play to seal the

victory.

“It was a booster for our mental strength,” said DiGiacomo about

the importance of the goal.

But there was still more water polo left to play and CdM, 11-2,

1-0 in the Pacific Coast League and ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern

Section Division II, had to make a strong showing on defense at the

end.

Santa Margarita, ranked No. 3 in CIF Division I, drew an ejection

with 23 seconds left, so first-year Eagle coach Kevin Ricks called a

timeout to set up a play.

But CdM was ready for whatever the Eagles (8-5) threw at them. The

Eagles tossed the ball on the perimeter for 10 seconds before

Eadington, who scored one goal, stole the ball from an opponent she

fronted near the side of the pool, and the Sea Kings ran the clock

out.

“I told them to keep the ball dry until they found an open

player,” Ricks said. “Unfortunately we turned the ball over and that

hurt us.”

The Sea Kings’ final goal inspired the entire team for the

remainder of the game, said senior Danielle Carlson, who scored two

goals and added two assists and one steal.

“Working hard on defense was the most important thing,” Carlson

said. “We had to be disciplined to make that one stop.”

The Sea Kings came up with sound defense when they had to, despite

a slight drop-off in intensity following a 4-1 lead at the end of one

quarter.

“We got ahead and were pumped, but then we got complacent and they

played a lot better,” Carlson said.

CdM senior Christina Hewko, the CIF Southern Section Division IV

Player of the Year last season before the team moved up to Division

II this season, got the victors on the board 3:39 into the game. She

got free and was all alone on the right side of the pool to take a

pass from Carlson, who had begun the break with a steal.

Hewko, who scored twice, gave the Eagles fits in other ways by

collecting two assists and three steals, two in the first quarter on

entry passes to the two-meter area.

The Stanford-bound Hewko also drew a pivotal third ejection with

45 seconds left on Santa Margarita’s Aimee Stachowski, signaling her

exit from the game. Stachowski scored one goal and is headed to UC

Santa Barbara next season to play water polo. The two players locked

arms and tussled back-and-forth in the water before an officials blew

his whistle. Fans waited to hear who would get the call and it turned

out to be Hewko.

Ricks said he didn’t see all of the play leading up to the

ejection.

“The ball was on (the near side) of the pool and I just knew

(Hewko) and (Stachowski) had been tangled up,” Ricks said. “(Hewko)

is a great player who creates ejections and goals for her team.”

A three-goal lead quickly disappeared in the second quarter for

CdM as the Eagles got to within, 4-3, with 3:51 left in the half when

Mary Cousineau threw the ball from 10 meters as the shot clock

expired, taking advantage when the defender guarding her shifted back

to guard the hole.

“We had three offensive fouls that led to goals (in the second

period),” said CdM Coach Aaron Chaney. “They killed us on the

counterattack, once (Santa Margarita players) are gone, they are

gone. (Santa Margarita) took advantage of their opportunities more

than we took advantage of the chances they gave us. Our six-on-fives

are struggling right now.”

The Sea Kings went 2 for 6 on the man-advantages while the Eagles

were 2 for 7.

Chaney said he wanted his defense to force other players besides

U.S. national team members Sarah Hamilton, Stachowski, Erika Figge

and Kacy Kunkel into taking shots. All four scored at least one goal

with Kunkel and Figge tallying two.

“The last two six-on-fives for (Santa Margarita) were

unsuccessful,” Chaney said. “Anytime you can take advantage of their

fourth, fifth, or sixth-best player shooting it, you take your

chances.(CdM goalkeeper Brittany Fullen) was right there to block one

shot and the second time we just trapped off to the side and it

forced a bad pass.”

Fullen made nine saves.

CdM led, 5-4 at halftime and jumped to a 7-5 lead in the third

quarter on single goals from Jessica Harkins and Carlson. Carlson

scored on a four-meter penalty shot after freshman Camille Hewko,

Christina’s sister, drew an ejection.

The Sea Kings defeated the Eagles for the second time this season.

CdM won, 8-6, take third place in the Newport Harbor-Corona del Mar

Holiday Cup last month.

In frosh-soph play:

Santa Margarita beat CdM, 6-5, in overtime.

Katie Kubas led the Sea Kings with four goals while Katherine

Bilder added one goal.