The season didn’t start with an easy matchup for the top-ranked Dos Pueblos girls water polo team, as No. 3 Corona del Mar came to Goleta and had a second-half lead before the Chargers pulled away for a 6-3 win in a defensive battle.
Jamie Neushul fires in one of her three scores on the night (Vince Agapito photos).
Reigning CIF Player of the Year Kiley Neushul, headed for Stanford next year, missed most of the first half after two early fouls, but the Chargers have potent weapons all over the pool. Little sister Jamie Neushul led the way with a hat trick, while Tiera Schoeder added two assists, two blocks and six ejections drawn.
It was also the start of the Chris Parrish era, as the DP boys coach embarked on his first season with the girls team on the right foot. He admitted that he was nervous about taking over such a powerhouse program.
“Oh yeah, are you kidding?… I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said.
The Sea Queens had a 1-0 lead after one quarter thanks to some less-than-stelar shooting by the hosts as well as some quality saves from goalie Alex Musselman, who finished with 14 saves on the night. DP goalie Chandler Vilander had five saves on the night.
The younger Neushul evened the score early in the second quarter with a looping shot. She followed with a nice field block, but Corona del Mar would score on its next possession, but Jamie Neushul struck once again with a no-look back-handed shot to send the match into halftime at 2-2.
The Sea Queens scored on a 6-on-5 advantage early in the third before Kodi Hill tied things up from close range. Kiley Neushul gave DP the lead with a penalty shot at the 1:45 mark in the period, while her little sister and Schroeder added two more goals in the fourth quarter.
DP Goalie Chandler Vilander sets up to stop a point blank shot by a Corona del Mar player.
DOS PUEBLOS 6, CORONA DEL MAR 3
CDM…1 1 1 0 — 3
DP…0 2 2 2 — 6
Goals — CDM: McCormick 1, Scwartz 1, Greenlee 1. DP: JNeushul 3, KNeushul 1, Hill 1, Schroeder 1. Goalie saves — CDM: Musselman 14, DP: Vilander 5.
