Louisville Rolls After Adapting to Postseason

WOODLAND HILLS —  It was do-or-die for the Louisville High water polo team on Thursday, and that was a position the Royals had not found themselves in before.

But they overcame the nerves, shook off a slow start and routed Newbury Park, 12-3, in the first round of the Southern Section Division II girls’ water polo playoffs at Pierce College.

Louisville will play Arcadia in the second round on Tuesday at a site to be determined.

Louisville, which had not played a single-elimination tournament this season, appeared tentative in forging a 3-2 lead at halftime.

But the third-seeded Royals (20-2) bombarded the Newbury Park nets for seven goals in the third quarter to break open the game.

“I think we were a little nervous at first,” Louisville Coach Stacy Smith said. “But we put the idea of being in the [Southern Section] playoffs in perspective.”

This is the first time that the Southern Section has sanctioned playoffs for girls’ water polo, a second-year sport. Smith said that the jitters associated with the playoffs and the pressure of being seeded third were a concern of hers entering the game.

“In that situation you have a tendency to have a fear of making mistakes instead of doing what you have done all season,” Smith said. “We got over that fear in the second half.”

Louisville’s high-pressure defense and speed advantage created seven steals in the third quarter and the Royals converted five of those into easy goals.

Kim Feig scored five of her team-high seven goals in the third quarter, including an impressive backhanded blast from the two-meter position that put Louisville up, 9-2.

Katie Pyle had the other two Louisville goals in the quarter, including a shot from mid-pool after she stole a pass from Newbury Park goalie Cori Palmeri.

“Their defense was awesome,” Newbury Park Coach Steve Borg said. “They were much more physical and have much bigger girls. I expected them to take off from us a little sooner, but we stayed with them until the middle of the third quarter.”

The Louisville defense, its strength all season, was indeed awesome. While the Royals’ offense struggled in a scoreless second quarter, their defense thwarted most Panther attacks.

Using an aggressive, collapsing defense, Louisville created 25 turnovers and held Newbury Park to 16 shots in the game.

Kiley Grombacher led Louisville with seven steals.

Newbury Park (17-8) scored its first goal on a four-meter penalty shot by Ryanne Prins that pulled the Panthers to within 3-1.

Devon Lang tossed a bloop shot over Louisville goalie Erin Kelly late in the second quarter to get the Panthers to within 3-2.

In another playoff game:

Harvard-Westlake 15, Crescenta Valley 5--The second-seeded Wolverines remained undefeated with a Southern Section Division II first-round rout at Harvard-Westlake.

Rachel Burkons had three goals and Lauren Abrahams, Stephanie Dashiell and Monica Paz each had two for Harvard-Westlake (13-0).

Goalie Sarah Paul had six saves and held Crescenta Valley to two goals before leaving the game after the third quarter.

Harvard-Westlake will play Santa Maria Righetti at Righetti in the second round Tuesday.