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The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
Long Beach Poly survived a late-gamer thriller with La Serna to survive and advance in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. The Jackrabbits led by three with five minutes to go but saw that lead erode to just one, relying on lockdown defense to turn away three late La Serna chances to score it. Thanks to great team defense and 11 saves from goalie Sean Kerry, the Jackrabbits prevailed 6-5.
“One of the strengths of this team all season long has been our defense,” said Poly coach Ish Pluton. “We’re anchored by an incredible goalie, and our defense when we’re communicating, we’re working–we iced three of their plays out of timeouts. When we’re on it, that’s how we’re going to win. Our offense might stall, but our defense is on lock. That’s the strength of this team and it showed tonight.”
Kerry was nails all game, with three steals as well as the 11 saves. The Jackrabbits defense helped him out with six total steals as well as five field blocks.
“It’s nothing different for us, we have a great defense,” said Kerry. “When they’re listening, they’re hitting their players–it’s not just me doing all the work. We had great shot blocking today which helps me out personally.”
The Jackrabbits struggled to get going offensively, as they were shut out 1-0 at the end of the first quarter. Poly missed three five-meter penalty shots and failed to convert two man-up opportunities in the game, leaving valuable points on the board.
They broke through in the second quarter with a 3-0 frame, as Emerson LaPorta, Kyle Oatey, and Gael Cruz all scored; LaPorta put home a five-meter shot and then Oatey and Cruz traded assists with each other on nice plays diving towards the goal.
The game never got comfortable though, as the Lancers opened the second half with the first two goals, tying it at three apiece midway through the third quarter. Just 18 seconds after La Serna tied it, Poly’s Caden Kawamura gave the Jackrabbits the lead back as he drove an open lane on the right wing and punched home the go-ahead score on the near post. LaPorta’s second goal on an assist from Oatey made it 5-3 Jackrabbits going to the fourth quarter.
Cruz scored to start the fourth, putting Poly up 6-3 with five minutes left. It felt like the Jackrabbits had it in the bag, until Matthew Huacuja put home a score for La Serna, and then Poly had two man-up opportunities blocked. Then La Serna’s Gabe Casales put in a goal that narrowed the Poly lead to 6-5 with 1:40 left.
The Jackrabbits weren’t able to threaten a score after that, but instead had to turn away several La Serna chances, with Oatey and LaPorta both making nice field blocks and Kerry saving two shots to push Poly through to the second round.
LaPorta had a typically great all-around game with two goals, two assists, a steal and two field blocks. Cruz had a pair of goals as well as a pair of assists; Oatey had one goal and two assists.
“That was definitely a battle of the emotions,” said LaPorta. “It got a little crazy at the end but I think we stayed calm and played through it.”
LaPorta and Pluton both brought up that while Poly has had success in the postseason recently, including a CIF-SS championship, but that success has come in lower divisions.
“We have a senior heavy team and we’re just trying to make it as far as possible,” said LaPorta. “We’ve been building this up all four years, building to this moment, and we want to make it as far as possible in D2 for our last run.”
The Jackrabbits’ next step in that run will be on Thursday in the second round of the playoffs, on the road at Aliso Niguel.
