Santa Barbara High gave Orange Lutheran a fight before falling 12-8 in the first round of the CIF Division 1 girls water polo playoffs at Rancho Santiago College.
The Dons scored three straight goals to pull to within three (10-7) in the fourth period. But Orange Lutheran standout Kelsey Taylor scored on a lob to quell Santa Barbara’s rally. Taylor carried Orange Lutheran’s attack with nine assists.
Orange Lutheran goalie Bailey Meyer made a big play just before halftime, blocking a penalty shot to preserve a 5-3 lead.
“They gave us a little bit of a scare,” Orange Lutheran coach Steve Carrera told the Orange County Register.
“They can play with anybody,” Santa Barbara coach Mark Walsh told the Orange Country Register of Orange Lutheran. “We knew we were going to have to play close to perfect and we didn’t.”
Lara Kostruba and Georgia Ransone each scored two goals to lead the Dons (13-16) offense and Kristina Garcia had five steals.
