CdM girls’ water polo uses fourth quarter rally to stun Laguna Beach in season opener
The Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team had not beaten perennial powerhouse Laguna Beach since 2013.
The teams had played two dozen times since then, and the Breakers had always come out on top.
A thrilling comeback and a cold-blooded freshman helped CdM break the streak Tuesday night.
Freshman Camryn Spruill scored the game-winning goal with 39 seconds left in regulation from center, as CdM rallied for an 8-7 victory in the season opener for both teams at Corona del Mar High.
In her high school debut, Spruill already showed that she can team with CdM senior Reagan Weir to form a formidable tandem at center. Both players scored three goals Tuesday night.
“I’m really excited, because I’ve never experienced something like this before,” said Spruill, who stands 5-foot-11. “You have game after game, and you have it with this team that you go to school with. It seems so fun and exciting.”
“Exciting” described the comeback well for the Sea Kings, who returned the majority of their team from last year’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 champions.
Laguna Beach, which got three goals each from senior captains Kara Carver and Presley Jones, led 7-4 headed into the fourth quarter before CdM began its comeback. Senior left-handed attacker Didi Evans scored a lob goal, then Weir fed Spruill for a backhand goal from two meters, cutting CdM’s deficit to 7-6.
The hosts tied the score as senior Piper Sidebotham, last year’s CIF finals hero who had three assists, found Evans for a power-play goal with 1:11 left to play. CdM senior Kiana Wells had the drive inside to earn the six-on-five opportunity.
An outside shot from Laguna Beach went off the crossbar, and CdM got possession back. From there, Evans found Spruill inside.
“We wanted to run the clock out, and Camryn was able to spin in and get position immediately,” second-year CdM coach Marc Hunt said. “I could see Didi sort of hesitating, thinking, ‘We want to run more time off this clock, but I have the entry, I have to give it to her.’ She enters it in to her, and Camryn finishes strong.
“As a freshman, [Spruill] is going to surprise some folks this year. Fun to watch her have such success in her first high school game.”
Jones got off an outside shot in the closing seconds, but CdM senior goalkeeper Gabby MacAfee gobbled it up for her 14th save, a total that included a penalty shot block.
Fellow freshman Keira Bethell also figures to play a prominent role alongside Spruill, Hunt said. Sophomore left-handed attacker Morgan Dollander and junior attacker Josie Alaluf, both transfers from Newport Harbor, will each become eligible on Dec. 20. Alaluf has been starting for CdM in the offseason.
Corona del Mar, which has won the Division 1 championship two of the last three years, seeks to compete in the higher Open Division this year. Evans, a four-year varsity standout for CdM, said she believes the team can contend for the title in the top division with the mix of returning seniors and young talent.
“This team is capable of so much,” she said. “By the time that we’re getting prepared for CIF and in CIF, I think the sky’s the limit.”
Laguna Beach also got a goal from junior Brooke Schneider, while senior goalkeeper Siena Jumani also played well with seven saves, an assist and three steals.
“We’ve got to find our timing together,” second-year Breakers coach Katie Teets said. “We have an experienced senior class, and others are kind of finding their footing. As those two clash together, it’s about getting the experience playing more minutes together. That senior class has played together every minute for 10 years, but the rest of them, not so much.”
CdM plays next at El Toro on Dec. 3 in continued nonleague action, while Laguna Beach plays at defending Open Division champion Orange Lutheran on Tuesday.
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