Variety victory

Bryce Alderton

Before Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division II girls water polo

semifinal, Corona del Mar High Coach Aaron Chaney called this year’s

team the hardest working in his four years at the helm.

Versatile could be another descriptor for the top-seeded Sea

Kings, who used eight different goal scorers in a 12-6 victory over

Peninsula at Irvine High.

CdM (23-7) will play for its fourth straight CIF title -- third in

a row in Division II -- against Pacific Coast League rival Laguna

Beach at 8:15 p.m. Monday at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

Senior Kim Nelson gave Peninsula (23-6) a 1-0 lead 19 seconds into

the contest, but the Sea Kings tallied seven straight goals and held

the designated hosts scoreless until 4 minutes, 47 seconds remained

in the third quarter.

Senior Jordan Anae and sophomore Cari Levine each finished with a

game-high three goals while Katie Indvik, Sara Hutchison, Chelsea

Lyman, Katlin Kubas, Camille Hewko and Haley Prickett scored one goal

apiece for the Sea Kings, who improved to 15-0 in playoff games under

Chaney.

The Sea Kings have outscored their three playoff foes, 35-10.

“We talked about coming out strong and we did that,” said Anae,

who scored three straight goals in the third period to help CdM forge

a 9-3 lead with 2:01 left in the quarter. “Everyone played as a

team.”

The lead swelled to 11-3 on goals from Hutchison and Kubas in the

fourth quarter, when Chaney began liberal substitutions.

Senior goalkeeper Brittany Fullen stopped 15 shots, anchoring a

defense that forced Peninsula to often shoot from the perimeter.

“Our press made it hard for them to pass,” Anae said.

Chaney said defending at two meters was the key. Kubas primarily

guarded Nelson in set.

“[Kubas] did a great job,” Chaney said. “We tried to front at two

meters, making [the Panthers] push [the ball] back out.”

The Sea Kings’ smothering defense forced eight first-half

turnovers, including steals from Hutchison and Kubas that each led to

goals in the first period. Kubas tallied a game-high four steals

while Taylor Harkins added two.

The Panthers, whom the Sea Kings defeated, 13-3, in the Division

II final last season, ran several different defensive sets, which

Chaney said caused his team to attack more.

“I was impressed with our outside shooting,” Chaney said. “We had

some nice counterattack opportunities that I wish we converted more

of, but no one is perfect.”

CdM finished 1 for 7 on the player advantage while the Panthers

went 3 for 8.

Anae and Hewko drew three and two exclusions, respectively.

“A lot of people did a lot of little things that contributed,”

Chaney said.

CIF Division II

Semifinal

Corona del Mar 12,

Peninsula 6

Score by Quarters

*--*

CdM 4 2 4 2 -- 12

Pen. 1 0 2 3 -- 6

*--*

CdM -- Anae 3, Levine 3, Indvik 1, Kubas 1, Hewko 1, Prickett 1,

Hutchison 1, Lyman 1. Saves -- Fullen 15.

Pen. -- Nelson 2, Beckmann 2, Santarosa 2. Saves -- Garreton 7.