SANTA ANA Santa Margarita’s water polo teams edged rival Mater Dei in sudden-death overtime not once but twice on Tuesday, March 16.
The Eagles’ girls rallied to beat the host Monarchs 8-7 in double sudden-death overtime while the boys followed in the same pool with a 10-9 victory early in the first sudden-death period.
Santa Margarita’s boys (5-0, 5-0) and girls (4-0, 3-0) teams both clinched at least a share of Trinity League championships, a coveted accomplishment any year but even more so with the pandemic wiping away the postseason this spring.
The boys match delivered a playoff-like celebration by Santa Margarita, which clinched its first league title since 2001. Senior Ben Kirshon scored the winner 40 seconds into sudden-death overtime, taking a cross pass from senior Marko Maramica on a counterattack and firing a near-side shot in off the top of the cross bar.
“Our school hasn’t won this league in over 20 years so just to get the win in our senior season was really awesome,” said Kirshon, who finished with a match-high five goals.
What a finish for @smchs_bwp
@ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/SGxHlhijlo
— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) March 17, 2021
Maramica finished with six assists but he and Kirshon credited senior teammate Speedy Laster for helping set up the winning play.
“I saw Speedy screening Ben’s guy,” Maramica said. “Ben found the open water, popped up and I saw him weak (side) and just gave him the ball.”
The counterattack came after Mater Dei’s Ryan McManigal won his fifth consecutive sprint to open sudden-death overtime, leading the Monarchs to call timeout. Mater Dei isolated center Grant Loth at center but fired a shot that blasted off the crossbar and slightly off goalie Zach Cwertnia’s head before floating to the side off the cage.
Cwertina, a junior who had seven saves, then tossed the outlet pass to the center of the pool for Laster, who passed to the Maramica on the wing before quickly driving toward to 2 meters to draw the defense and set the screen to free Kirshon on the weak-side wing.
“Wild game,” Santa Margarita coach Justin Johnson said. “It’s a big feat for these kids. Such a great senior group. It’s a bummer (the season) is only six games but at least it’s six games.”
The Stanford-bound Laster scored once and helped anchor the Eagles’ defense with three field blocks against the Monarchs’ power-play, which finished 4 for 9. Santa Margarita went 2 for 3 with the extra attacker.
Senior Cole McKechnie played strong 2-meter defense against Loth before fouling out. Sophomore Spencer Averitt added two goals.
The UCLA-bound Loth drew at least four exclusions and scored once against a sagging Eagles’ defense. Senior Clay Kaneko paced Mater Dei with four goals while goalie sophomore goalie Nathan Tauscher led the defense with 14 saves.
Half: SM 4, MD 4 Clay Kaneko w/ 1 of his 3 goals for @mdboyswaterpolo pic.twitter.com/wzfp4bPPIg
— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) March 17, 2021
In the girls game, Camille Mras scored on a skip-shot in the final seconds of the second sudden-death overtime off a pass from Carly McMurray to lift Santa Margarita to an 8-7 victory.
Mras, McMurray and Ruby Hodge each scored twice for the Eagles, who won their second consecutive sudden-death overtime match in the Trinity League. They edged Orange Lutheran last week.
“This year,” coach Brian Weathersby said, “our team is mentally tough.”
Janna Tauscher and Caitlyn Cohen each scored three goals for the Monarchs.
Santa Margarita’s boys and girls close their season later this week with matches against Servite and Rosary, respectively. The girls can become the first outright league champion in the Trinity since Mater Dei in 2017-2018.
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