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Sunny Hills’ Keith Nighswonger has seen plenty of impressive achievements in 41 years of coaching high school water polo but his girls team still found a way to dazzle him in the CIF-SS playoffs on Saturday.
The Freeway League champion blanked a swift Canyon squad in the second half en route to an 8-3 victory in the Division 2 quarterfinals at Yorba Linda High.
“OMG!” Nighswonger exclaimed to his players in their postgame huddle. “That’s all I can say.”
In advancing to the semifinals for the second consecutive season, Sunny Hills (24-8) outscored Canyon (23-7) 5-0 in the second half to break open a duel tied at halftime
Cal State Fullerton-bound goalie Sienna Bertsch anchored the defensive effort by making seven of her 12 saves in the final two periods, including a penalty shot in the third.
The Lancers also stopped all three of the Comanches’ power-play chances in the second half.
Sunny Hills used a team effort to quiet a Canyon offense that netted 20 goals in the first round of the playoffs.
Sophomore Abby Reekstin denied one power-play chance in the third quarter with a field block. Her sister Hannah, another Cal State Fullerton signee, added two of her three steals in the second half. And seniors Katelyn Fu and Ileina Hatori guarded San Diego State-bound attacker Delanney Ewing of Canyon.
Hatori, the Lancers’ third Cal State Fullerton commit, finished with three steals.
“We really adjusted to their kind of offense,” Bertsch said. “We had to start driving (Ewing) down when we were on offense so she couldn’t counter us back.”
“The good thing about our team is that we don’t just do one set kind of defense,” the senior added. “We adjust.”
Ewing scored on an early counterattack and backhanded shot from center to give the Crestview League runner-up an 2-0 lead in the opening period.
Sunny Hills took its first lead early in the second half on a long perimeter strike by Hannah Reekstin shortly after senior Eden Buell won the sprint.
The goal signaled the Lancers’ offensive intentions in the second half. Buell added two perimeter strikes en route to three goals.
Fu added a late putback to finish with three goals.
Sunny Hills will face No. 1 seeded Agoura, a 13-6 winner against Irvine, in the semifinals Wednesday. “We’re excited,” Nighswonger said. “We’ll give them our best. If they can move quicker than our defense can move, then tip your cap to them.”
In the other Division 2 semifinal, Beckman will meet Alta Loma on Wednesday. The Pacific Coast League champion Patriots advanced with an 11-8 triumph against El Toro in the quarterfinals.
In Division 1:
San Clemente 10, Murrieta Valley 3: Juniors Talyn Pelky and Phoebe DeMoss each scored three goals and sophomore Emmi Franklin added six assists to lead the South Coast League champion Tritons at San Juan Hills High. The Tritons will play JSerra in the semifinals Wednesday.
JSerra 13, Harvard-Westlake 12 (OT): Freshman Victoria Williams scored four goals and sophomore Sloane Paulson added three to lead the host Lions.
