Going 0-for-7 on man-up situations and missing a penalty shot isn’t the best way to beat a perennial power in water polo, but the Santa Barbara High girls team pulled it off on Saturday morning with a 4-3 win over visiting Coronado.
Freshman Kelsey O’Brien lobbed in the game-winner as the shot clock expired with 1:42 left.
“It was kind of a panic shot,” she admitted. “I kind of just threw it up there and got lucky that it went in.”
Luck will do just fine for now, as the young Dons have made it through a treacherous 6-game start to the season with a 4-2 record.
“When I finished this schedule I thought we could end up being 1-5 with our only win against Ventura, but winning both this weekend is great. We’re definitely coming along and I think we can play a lot better,” said coach Mark Walsh.
While the defense was solid and Maddie Trabucco had some outstanding saves in the cage (she tallied eight total), the offense can definitely play better. Of the seven wasted man-ups, the Dons failed to even get a shot off in four.
“There’s not many games I’ve coached where you can be so bad on man-ups and still win, especially against a good team,” said coach Mark Walsh.
The Islanders are three-time defending champions in Division II of the CIF San Diego Section, and feature three Division-I recruits in Ashley Young (USC), Kelly Ronimus (UCLA) and Hillary Estrada (UC Irvine).
“Any time you’re in a match like that it’s going to come down to one missed opportunity and one made opportunity,” said coach David Throop. “There’s not one thing I can pinpoint it on.”
Makenzy Fowler had five steals and a goal for Santa Barbara
The Dons play at Foothill a week from Tuesday.
(photo courtesy of Peter Trabucco)
SANTA BARBARA 4, CORONADO 3
Coronado…2 0 0 1 — 3
Santa Barbara…1 1 1 1 — 4
Goals — C: Young 2, Couture 1. SB: Fowler 1, O’Brien 2, Hendrix 1. Goalie saves — C: Moore 5, SB: Trabucco 8.
