Wilson Strikes Early to Beat Foothill, 8-6

LONG BEACH —  Long Beach Wilson broke through Orange County’s dominance of the Southern Section Division I water polo championship . . . again.

Wilson won its second Division I title in three years, posting an 8-6 victory over defending champion Foothill Wednesday at Belmont Plaza in front of about 3,000.

Wilson is the only non-Orange County school to win the top-division championship since Downey won in 1972. Wilson also won the Division 4-A championship in 1981.

Top-seeded Wilson (27-2) jumped on second-seeded Foothill (26-3) early, scoring the first three goals. Then, the Bruins’ defense, anchored by goalie Nick Hill (eight saves), held off Foothill’s comeback efforts.

Sean McEachern scored three goals and Peter Joseph scored two for Wilson. Each scored key goals when Foothill pulled to within one.

But Wilson Coach Ricardo Azevedo said the Bruins’ defensive effort was the major reason for the victory. Wilson held Foothill to one goal in the first 12 minutes and kept the Knights scoreless for an 8 1/2-minute stretch in the second half.

Although Wilson and Foothill split four games against each other earlier this season--each decided by only one goal--Wilson stunned Foothill early and had its biggest lead, 5-1, with 2 minutes 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

“Wilson capitalized on their six-on-five situations early,” Foothill Coach Jim Brumm said. “We got ours later, but we didn’t score goals.

“We got some good looks and good scoring opportunities, we just didn’t put the ball in the goal.”

Foothill tried to close the gap, but each time the Knights got as close as one, Wilson answered.

Foothill’s Jeff Pflueger, who had three goals, and Jeremy Katz scored goals in the final 2:03 of the second quarter to bring the Knights to within two.

Although Pflueger scored on a six-on-five situation early in third quarter to cut the lead to one, McEachern answered by scoring from the hole on a man-advantage with 3:12 remaining in the period to make it, 6-4.

Foothill got as close as one once more when Scott Miller scored off a rebound with 5:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, but 20 seconds later Joseph scored to give Wilson a two-goal cushion.

Foothill had two more opportunities to pull within one in the final three minutes, but Pflueger hit the crossbar with one skip shot and Rob Arroyo had a lob shot from the hole just sail over the goal.

“What can you say?” Brumm said. “We just didn’t put the ball in the goal when we had to.”