3621 W MacArthur Blvd Suite 107 Santa Ana, CA 92704
Toll Free – (844)-500-1351 Local – (714)-604-1416 Fax – (714)-907-1115

Corona del Mar girls water polo defeats Agoura in wild finish to win CIF-SS Division 1 title

Rent Computer Hardware You Need, When You Need It

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

IRVINE — Corona del Mar’s first celebratory plunge Saturday was apparently one second too early, but it survived to make another memorable moment in a wild CIF-SS Division 1 girls water polo championship game at Woollett Aquatics Center.

Top-seeded Agoura earned a penalty shot with one second left in regulation after the Sea Kings jumped into the pool too early to celebrate, but the ensuing attempt blasted off the side post as Corona del Mar, led by Olympian-turned-coach Melissa Seidemann, defeated the Chargers 8-7.

The Corona del Mar girls water polo team celebrates with their CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Corona del Mar girls water polo team with their CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Corona del Mar girls water polo team celebrates with their CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A jubilant Claire Eusey of the Corona del Mar girls water polo team holds the CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Corona del Mar girls water polo team members, Mia Bernhoit, left, and Claire Eusey, right, celebrate with their CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Corona del Mar girls water polo team members, Mia Bernhoit, left, and Claire Eusey, right, celebrate with their CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

of

Expand

The Sea Kings (19-13) jumped into the pool again after the miss and rejoiced in their first section title since 2013 and seventh in school history.

“It was crazy,” Corona del Mar senior Claire Eusey said of the roller-coaster ending. “I think we got really excited. The ending buzzer blew and I don’t think everyone knew that there was one second left.

“I think it just shows that you really don’t know what’s going to happen in a championship game. Anything can happen.”

The Brown-committed Eusey said that as Agoura (23-8) positioned itself for the penalty shot, Corona del Mar remained confident because of goalie Sarah Decker. The junior made a point-blank save against a power-play shot with 30 seconds left and also blocked a penalty in the third period.

Agoura went 0 for 3 on penalty shots and 4 for 9 on the power play. Corona del Mar missed its only penalty shot and went 0 for 2 with the extra attacker.

“Our goalie is such a wall and we have so much trust in her,” Eusey said of Decker, who had seven saves and four steals. “We knew that was going to be our win.”

The ending sequence arrived as Corona del Mar tried to run out the final 19 seconds in regulation coming of its timeout.

Seidemann, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, said she believed that the game and shot clock had expired when her team jumped into the pool the first time.

“Time did expire,” she said. “It was zero on both clocks.”

Agoura coach Jason Rosenthal, set to retire after his 26th season and more than 500 wins, quickly signaled to the officials for the 5-meter call for Corona del Mar jumping into the pool early. He said an official had confirmed that there was a one-second differential between the game and shot clocks.

The actual differential was four-tenths of a second.

“The shot clock horn went off, not the game horn,” Rosenthal said. “So when the shot-clock horn went off, they jumped in. We knew there was still one second. But it didn’t matter. We didn’t make it.”

Related Articles


Foothill water polo, swimming coach Jim Brumm to retire this spring


CIF-SS girls water polo playoffs: Previews of Saturday’s championship games


CIF-SS playoffs schedule for OC teams on Friday and Saturday


CIF-SS girls water polo playoffs: Wednesday’s scores, updated matchups for Saturday’s finals


Laguna Beach girls water polo handles Orange Lutheran to reach Open Division final

Corona del Mar scored the eventual-winning goal coming out of a time out. Eusey threaded a pass to a driving Aubrie Anderson, who scored in front of the cage for an 8-6 lead with 4:14 left in the fourth period.

 

Generated by Feedzy