CdM seeking first SoCal crown

CORONA DEL MAR — Coach Aaron Chaney usually has a goal for his Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team to finish in the top two in tournaments. But he knows the Sea Kings have never won the Irvine Southern California Championships, so deep down he wants his team to capture that title.

The Sea Kings have lost in overtime in the title game of the Irvine tournament for the past two years, and have lost five overall in the final.

CdM took a step closer to winning the elusive title, beating Coronado of San Diego, 8-4, in a quarterfinal Friday at CdM.

The Sea Kings (22-1) led, 4-3, after three quarters, but outscored Coronado, 4-1, in the final period. CdM senior Kate Baldoni recorded 18 saves. Senior Heather Van Hiel scored a game-high three goals, while seniors Elise Molnar and Victoria Kennedy contributed two goals each for CdM, ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division I.

The Sea Kings will face Los Alamitos in a semifinal today at 11 a.m. at Irvine High. The title game is at 3 p.m. Los Al defeated Foothill, 8-5, Friday.

Irvine Southern California Championships

Quarterfinal Corona del Mar 8, Coronado 4

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Cor – Bailey 1, Estrada 1, Murphy 1, Young 1. Saves – Adamson 11.

CdM – Van Hiel 3, Molnar 2, Kennedy 2, Kaczmarek 1. Saves – Baldoni 18.