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The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
You would be hard pressed to find a water polo game where one player scored all of the goals for their team.
Not only did Wilson’s Cici De Luca do that on Tuesday evening at the Belmont Outdoor Pool, she did it in the most important game of the year.
De Luca provided all of the offense and the Bruins defense took it from there in an 8-7 win over Foothill in the last pool play game of the CIF Southern Section Open Division girls’ water polo playoffs. De Luca scored five times in the first quarter to give her team a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I didn’t see it coming,” De Luca said of her performance. “It was nice to have my teammates support me after every goal. I don’t think of it as I’m scoring all the goals, it’s a collective team effort. I was just the one who was open and I took the shot. It was a group effort.”
“We weren’t necessarily set up that way but people found her,” Wilson coach Barry O’Dea said of De Luca. “Like the inside move that (Angeliki Arroyo) made looked like Magic Johnson down there with a no-look pass. (De Luka) stayed disciplined and in the game plan and it really came together for her.”
The game was tied 6-6 at halftime, and the Wilson defense used high pressure and strong field blocks to limit Foothill to one goal in the second half. The visitors didn’t score in the fourth quarter, but they did have a chance to tie the game in the final minute. However, Wilson senior Katherine O’’Dea came up with a steal that clinched the victory.
“I’m always anticipating the play before it happens,” O’Dea said. “So when I saw the ball in front of me I was just like a dog and I was like, ‘Ball!’ I just went to take it.”
Wilson goalkeepers Paige Elder and Teagan Shandrew-Pearsall each played a half and combined for seven saves while the stout defense in front of them racked up six field blocks. It was the one-on-one defense late that gave the Bruins an advantage and more opportunities on the counter attack.
“We made some big adjustments and went away from some zone stuff, but I think the girls just decided they wanted to win that game,” coach O’Dea said.
Wilson won’t advance out of pool play in the Open Division, but getting this win means the Bruins are a likely at-large bid recipient into the upcoming CIF State playoffs.
Foothill looked spry early and took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter before De Luca scored on consecutive possessions. The Knights answered right back to retake the lead, but De Luca scored three more times to put Wilson up 5-3 headed to the second quarter.
An earned and converted 5-meter penalty from De Luca gave Wilson its biggest lead of the game, but Foothill responded with three unanswered goals to tie the game 6-6 at halftime.
The last goal from Ava Rowe came after a controversial exclusion with just two seconds left on the clock. Natalia Barret had a team-high three goals for the Knights, who seemed to have the momentum headed into the second half.
However, Wilson’s defense stayed aggressive as De Luca, O’Dea, Arroyo and Reece Haga all delivered game-changing field blocks and steals down the stretch. Each team scored once in the third quarter, and they missed some good looks at goal to begin the fourth quarter.
The turning point came with 3:30 left to play when a Foothill player inadvertently hit the ball out of the air after an offensive foul was called. That dead-ball foul is an automatic exclusion, and coach O’Dea quickly called timeout to set up the power play advantage.
During Wilson’s practice on Monday, O’Dea said that De Luca asked a specific question about her positioning in that situation, and he confirmed her plan. That plan worked perfectly as she scored the game-winning goal.
“I thought she played the best game I’ve seen her play in so long,” Katherine O’Dea said of De Luca.
Foothill only had one shot on goal in the final three minutes, and O’Dea put the cherry on top with her impressive steal in the passing late on Knights’ final possession.
“Defense wins championships,” coach O’Dea said. “It’s a cliché but it’s true. My (daughters) have been around me coaching since they were born and they’ve heard me complain about defense. They took it to heart. Katherine especially, she is a defensive specialist.”
“Having her guard me in practice is a challenge and it makes me better,” De Luca said of O’Dea. “It’s also really nice to have someone behind you that you know is going to make a stop, and you can just trust them, and Katherine is someone you can always trust on defense.”
