The562’s coverage of water polo & swimming is sponsored by the Aquatic Capital of America Foundation.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
It’s a shame someone had to lose the CIF Southern Section Division 1 girls’ water polo championship game on Saturday at Woollett Aquatics Center.
The epic battle between Wilson and Santa Margarita had CIF administrators on the pool deck talking about how it was the best game they’d ever seen.
Unfortunately, Wilson was on the wrong side of the double-overtime classic and lost to Santa Margarita 15-14.
“The game just expired on us,” Wilson coach Barry O’Dea said. “There was exciting action up and down the pool, and we had our chances and a really good look at the end. We needed a couple stops and couldn’t get them.”
Santa Margarita’s Kamryn Barone scored a game-high seven goals and the last one came when she converted the game-winning 5-meter in double overtime.
“It didn’t come down to that, no one needs to apologize to me or anyone else on the team right now,” coach O’Dea said of the last play.
Wilson’s Hannah Szeszulski scored a hat trick while Maya O’Dea and Reece Haga each scored twice for the Bruins. O’Dea also dished out a game-high five assists.
“It’s devastating right now,” Maya O’Dea said. “But I think we really gave it our all and our whole hearts were in it.”
This is the first CIF championship appearance in five years for Wilson.
“I’m so proud of this team,” coach O’Dea said. “It’s one of the best I’ve coached in my 30 years of coaching.”
Wilson opened the game with great ball movement and took a 3-1 lead on a great goal from the freshman Haga. However, as was the theme of the game, Santa Margarita scored twice at the end of the first quarter to tie it up 3-3.
The Bruins responded on its first two possessions of the second quarter as Angeliki Arroyo fed Emily Cribari and Szeszulski for goals. Wilson maintained that two-goal lead and was up 8-6 at halftime.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Santa Margarita goaltender Sophia Bunnell stepped up to make three consecutive saves while her teammates Bianca Temesvary scored two of her three goals to tie it up again 9-9.
With less than two minutes left in the quarter the Bruins drew an exclusion, and Zoe Grover found Maya O’Dea for the goal. Haga then scored her second goal of the game to put Wilson up 11-9 headed to the fourth quarter.
Wilson’s Jermonie Billingsly and Santa Margarita’s Hannah McClaskey traded early lob goals before Bruins goaltender Charlotte Echlin made an impressive save and her defense came up with two steals. Sophomore Katherine O’Dea finished with a game-high three steals.
The Bruins led 12-10 with about three minutes left in regulation when Barone scored again. The Eagles then killed off an exclusion and came up with a big field block to keep it close. With less than a minute left, Temesvary scored to tie it 12-12.
With 18 seconds left, Wilson had a chance to score the game-winning goal but couldn’t get a shot off, so the teams went to overtime.
After impressive saves from both goalies, Wilson took the lead again when Maya O’Dea found her sister Katherine O’Dea for the go-ahead goal. The teams switched sides after the first three of six overtime minutes, and Maya O’Dea scored to put Wilson up 14-12.
With 1:14 left on the overtime clock, McClaskey scored again for Santa Margarita. After the Eagles killed off an exclusion in the final minute, Barone scored again to tie it 14-14 and send the instant classic match into double overtime where the first goal would win the championship.
Katherine O’Dea won the sprint for Wilson, and the Bruins got a shot at the game-winner but it went off the post.
The two teams traded possessions after that, but Santa Margarita gained an advantage on its second possession by going wide to Natasha Kieckhafer. She spun off a defender and was fouled for the 5-meter penalty shot that Barone buried for the championship victory.
Wilson was devastated after the golden goal, but Maya O’Dea showed incredible maturity when asked to put the season into perspective.
“Our whole season and journey is something to be really proud of,” she said. “I’m proud of all my girls, especially the underclassman who stepped up… everyone did amazing and I’m really proud of everyone.”
“(This team) broke down some of their own barriers of where they saw themselves in the CIF Southern Section,” coach O’Dea added. “We’re here, and we’re relevant and that’s a big thing. We came into the year talking about being relevant, and I think this is a relevant group.”
