Late Goal Lifts Los Alamitos to 8-7 Victory Over Sea Queens

A Los Alamitos goal with 3.67 seconds left in the game thwarted a Corona del Mar comeback attempt as the Griffins came away with an 8-7 victory in the fifth-place game of the Irvine Southern California Women’s Water Polo Championships on Saturday at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine.

After falling behind 7-4 late in the third quarter, Corona del Mar fought back to eventually tie the score at 7-7 with 1:28 left in the game. But after missing a chance to take the lead in the final minute, the Griffins got a shot from senior Cory Dodson from the top of the set that found the top-right corner of the goal that gave the Griffins an 8-7 lead with 3.67 seconds left.

The Sea Queens were able to take a deep lob shot attempt at the buzzer, but the ball sailed high and they finished sixth in the 32-team field. Corona del Mar had rallied back after a quarterfinal loss to Newport Harbor on Friday night, to defeat Vista, 14-8, Saturday morning to reach the afternoon's fifth-place game. It was the fifth game in three days for tournament participants.

“The last game of a tournament, teams are tired, it would be easy to go ahead and just throw it in," Corona del Mar coach Sam Bailey said. "But the girls played with a ton of heart and a ton of passion.”

Late in the third quarter, the Sea Queens began to fight back when Ally McCormick drew a penalty on a breakaway toward the Griffin goal. Pippa Saunders stepped in to take the shot and scored with a skip shot to the left side to cut the deficit to 7-6. The Griffins nearly answered right back when Dodson got free behind the defense on a counter attack. But her shot from the right side was stopped by goalie Alex Musselman in the final seconds.

With 2:45 left in the game, junior Diana Murphy pulled the Sea Queens to within 7-6 with a shot inside, despite two defenders pressuring her. After Musselman came up with another save on the ensuing Griffin possession, Murphy tied the score with another inside shot, this time off an assist from Saunders. Murphy and Saunders led the Sea Queens with three goals each.

Saunders came up with a field block on the next Griffin shot, but the Sea Queens were unable to take the lead with their attempt with 28 seconds left in the game. 

Corona del Mar will finish up Pacific Coast League play at Beckman on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and will end its regular season with a nonleague game against Long Beach Wilson at home on Friday at 4 p.m.

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The all-tournament team from the Irvine Southern California Girls Water Polo Championships:

Most outstanding field player -- Kiley Neushul, Dos Pueblos, sr.

Most outstanding goalie -- Sarah Wilkey, Newport Harbor, sr.

All-tournament Team:

Kodi Hill, Dos Pueblos, jr.

Tiera Schroeder, Dos Pueblos, sr.

Melena Masson, Laguna Beach, jr.

Jessie Holechek, Laguna Beach, sr.

Kailyn Obenauer, Newport Harbor, sr.

Catherine Carpenter, Newport Harbor, sr.

Kelsey O'Brien, Santa Barbara, so.

Rachel Fattal, Los Alamitos, jr.

Diana Murphy, Corona del Mar, jr.

Kelli Boling, Foothill, sr.

Savannah Fletcher, Agoura, sr.

Victoria Williams, Vista, sr.

Alys Williams, Edison, sr.