CdM moves on to semis

Steve Virgen

Corona del Mar High took one step closer to its third straight CIF

Southern Section division title in girls water polo, but the Sea

Kings’ figurative shoes seemed to have been filled with concrete when

facing Villa Park.

The Spartans threw off Corona del Mar in the first half by slowing

the game down and they tied the score, 2-2, 47 seconds into the third

quarter. But the Sea Kings woke up, went on a 5-0 run and defeated

Villa Park, 7-4, in a quarterfinal of the CIF Division II playoffs at

El Toro Saturday.

The game was hosted by the Spartans, but since their pool does not

meet CIF guidelines the site was moved to El Toro. Villa Park seemed

to have owned the first half, by holding Corona del Mar, the CIF

Division II top seed, to two goals.

“They were trying to slow the game down,” said Sea King Coach

Aaron Chaney, whose team will face Canyon of Anaheim Wednesday at

3:15 p.m. in a semifinal at Corona del Mar. “[The Spartans] play in a

smaller pool. They don’t have [the ability to] counter. The first

time we played them we countered them to death. They wanted to slow

the game down.”

Junior Jordan Anae scored on a counterattack 30 seconds into the

game, but that proved to be deceiving as the Sea Kings struggled on

offense the remainder of the half. Aubrey Panis converted on an

outside shot midway through the second quarter, tying the score, 1-1.

Corona del Mar (20-9) answered with 38 seconds left before

halftime when sophomore Camille Hewko finished on a counterattack,

spinning to shake off a defender and putting it away. The Sea Kings

took just seven shots in the first half, while Villa Park fired off

15. Junior goalie Brittany Fullen recorded 11 saves in the first half

for Corona del Mar and finished with a game-high 17.

Spartans goalie Kristen Davis was just as effective with 10 saves

and seven steals. She produced a steal 21 seconds into the third

quarter to provide momentum for her team as the steal eventually set

up a four-meter penalty shot. Lindsey Bruner hit the four-meter

penalty attempt to tie the score, 2-2.

But with 3:49 left in the third, Corona del Mar junior Katlin

Kubas took a pass from sophomore Ashley Chandler and lobbed the ball

over Davis at two meters for a 3-2 lead. Anae scored on a skip shot

with 11 seconds left in the third. In between Kubas’ goal and Anae’s

tally, Chaney was assessed a yellow card, Fullen recorded a key save

and Blair Davidson’s shot went off the crossbar during a Spartan

six-on-five opportunity.

“They were good,” Fullen said. “We were more frustrated with how

we were playing. We knew how we could play and we didn’t play up to

that level.”

Kubas, who scored a game-high three goals, displayed deftness with

a backhand shot at four meters with just under four minutes left in

the game to give the Sea Kings a 5-2 lead. That’s when Villa Park

moved Davis out of goal and into the field.

Shortly thereafter, she appeared to have a great opportunity to

score but the ball slipped out of her hands just in front of the Sea

Kings’ cage. Kubas gathered the loose ball, dished it back to Fullen,

who started a counterattack. Senior Katya Eadington scored to switch

the momentum and put Corona del Mar up, 6-2. Kubas added another goal

on a counterattack for a 7-2 lead. Villa Park had two goals in the

final 64 seconds.

*--*

CIF Division II

Quarterfinal

Corona del Mar 7, Villa Park 4

Score by Quarters

CdM 1 1 2 3 -- 7

Villa Park 0 1 1 2 -- 4

CdM -- K. Kubas 3, Anae 2, Hewko 1, Eadington 1.

Saves -- Fullen 17. Villa Park -- Panis 1, Bruner

1. Saves -- Davis 10, Smiley 1.

*--*