Niehenke’s lob does job

Steve Virgen

With the score tied and with less than a minute remaining, Daniel

Niehenke was on a breakaway and had but one thought on his mind: “I

had to score,” he said.

The Corona del Mar High senior said he did not want to play his

last game and he tossed in the game-winner with 46 seconds left,

leading the Sea Kings to a 7-6 victory over visiting Laguna Hills in

the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I boys water

polo playoffs.

CdM will face Harvard Westlake (24-2), the Division I top seed,

Saturday at a site to be determined by a coin flip today. The game is

scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m.

With less than a minute left, CdM junior goalie Gaston Sanford

recorded a save and found Niehenke (pronounced nye-heenkie) in front

of the Laguna defense on his way toward the cage. Sanford quickly

threw the lead pass and Niehenke took advantage of the situation.

As he went to shoot, the Hawks goalie started to slide out and

Niehenke accurately reacted with a lob shot into the cage that

resulted in loud cheers from the CdM fans. The goal and the Sea

Kings’ come-from-behind win over the Hawks gave great hope for a

young team that had weathered storms throughout the season, yet still

won a share of the Pacific Coast League title.

“We weren’t even sure we would make it to [the CIF playoffs] when

we lost to Northwood,” Niehenke said of the Sea Kings’ 7-6 loss in

overtime to the Timberwolves Oct. 22. “But we beat [University, Nov.

5] and we improved.”

The Sea Kings (8-18) trailed, 5-4, heading into the fourth

quarter, but they quickly caught the Hawks (21-6) after winning the

sprint. Sophomore Tom Money, who had two goals, scored on the weak

side, 16 seconds into the final quarter.

Senior Spencer Pirdy gave CdM its first lead of the game with 5:33

left, scoring on the counterattack and on an assist from Niehenke.

The scoring play came after a steal by Sanford.

Laguna Hills, which finished third in the Sea View League,

answered with 3:04 remaining, scoring a power-play goal, as Mitch

Kieinan put away a shot that had ricocheted off the bar. However,

Niehenke broke the tie with his lob shot.

“It’s great for the season,” CdM first-year coach Mike Evans said

of the win. “They came together at the end of the season and got some

wins. And at the end of this game they put it together. It was very

satisfying.”

Evans said he also enjoyed the back-and-forth action the

first-round game provided. Laguna’s biggest lead was 4-2, and there

were six ties and two lead changes. In addition to Niehenke, Money

and Pirdy scoring goals, junior Thomas Pearson, the Sea Kings’

two-meter man, provided two goals, while junior Bryan Buhagiar got

CdM started, scoring with 46 seconds left in the first quarter on an

extra-man opportunity.

The Sea Kings went 1 for 3 on power-play situations, while Laguna

was 3 for 4.

*--*

CIF Division I playoffs First round

Corona del Mar 7, Laguna Hills 6

Score by Quarters

Laguna Hills 2 2 1 1 -- 6

Corona del Mar 1 2 1 3 -- 7

Laguna -- Shubin 2, Kieinan 2, Bayless 1, Hewko 1.

Saves -- Buller 9. CdM -- Money 2, Pearson 2,

Buhagiar 1, Niehenke 1, Pirdy 1. Saves -- Sanford

9.

*--*