Toring Helps Harvard Rush Past Agoura in Water Polo

Harvard High water polo Coach Rich Corso expressed concern about Agoura’s speed before Tuesday’s match and, in particular, Jason Stelle.

Corso had good reason.

Stelle is the two-time defending Southern Section 2-A champion in the 100-yard backstroke, setting the division record of 50.87 seconds en route to the title in May.

The Agoura senior driver displayed his quickness on Tuesday, winning the sprint to the ball at the start of each quarter, but Harvard walked off with a 14-6 win in a nonleague match at Harvard.

Harvard (9-2), buoyed by six goals by Jim Toring and two each by Brian Border, Lance Weidner and Mark Townsend, scored eight times on counterattacks.

“We had to make them think,” Corso said. “We tried to mix defenses on them throughout the match. (Agoura is) fast, strong and (has) good swimmers. Speed helps on counterattacks, but you have to be a good player also.”

The Saracens, ranked fourth in the 3-A Division, got off to a fast start against ninth-ranked Agoura (9-2) and never trailed.

Border scored to give Harvard a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the match on a 20-foot shot up the middle.

Toring scored on two breakaways within an 18-second span to put Harvard up, 3-0, with 4 minutes 49 seconds left in the first period.

“The defenders were covering the other guys and not coming to me on the counterattacks, so I just shot instead of passing off,” Toring said.

Jason DiSimone ruined Harvard goalie Antonio Gomez’s bid for a third consecutive shutout by scoring with 3:42 left in the first period.

Gomez, who became the first Harvard player to notch two shutouts in a season in 11-0 and 20-0 wins over Loyola and El Modena last week, recorded 15 saves.

After Agoura gained a one-man advantage when Harvard’s Todd Schumer was ejected with 4:46 left in the second period, Agoura’s Terry Polapink scored 15 seconds later to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Agoura would get no closer as Harvard ran off six consecutive goals to take a 9-2 lead midway through the third period.

Stelle was held to a fourth-period goal that cut the deficit to 10-5 with 5:35 remaining.

“We were concerned about his speed and had to get out there and key on him,” Toring said.