Mesa scratches 7-year itch

Bryce Alderton

Costa Mesa High’s CIF Southern Section Division II first-round boys

water polo game Thursday against visiting La Habra carried

significance beyond merely extending a season.

For the Mustangs’ upperclassmen, primarily the six seniors, the

contest offered an opportunity to affirm an ascent that began roughly

three years ago, when Mesa found itself in the depths of the Pacific

Coast League.

The host Mustangs, though, seized the moment Thursday, scoring

five first-period goals while adding strong defense late to earn the

program’s first CIF playoff victory in seven years following a 10-6

triumph over the Highlanders at Estancia High.

Mesa (19-6) faces Los Alamitos at 3:15 p.m. in Tuesday’s

quarterfinals.

The Mustangs won their first Golden West League championship this

fall after entering the circuit in 2002. In 2001, the Mustangs won

just five games while competing in the Pacific Coast League.

Senior Evan Spencer, a four-year varsity player, was on that 2001

squad, along with the team that bowed out to Esperanza in the first

round of the playoffs last year.

Those experiences only provided more motivation for players such

as Spencer, who ended Mesa’s scoreless drought that spanned 3

minutes, 49 seconds of the third and fourth quarters with a

counterattack goal that upped the Mustangs’ lead to 9-6 with 4:42

remaining in the game.

Senior Luke Yellin started the break with a steal before finding

Spencer for one of his game-high four assists.

La Habra (11-8) scored three straight goals to claw its way back

into the game before Spencer’s score.

The Mustangs weren’t going to let victory slip through their

fingers, Spencer said.

“I was afraid, but together we overcame [the Highlanders],”

Spencer said. “The momentum was with them, but [Yellin’s steal]

turned everything around and the momentum went back with us. We just

told ourselves we have to get back into this.”

Mesa senior goalkeeper Matt Jaroslawski made five of his game-high

10 saves in the fourth quarter, including the final two at

point-blank range.

Jaroslawski, another four-year varsity member, said he remained

calm, even after Bryce Stowell, La Habra’s leading scorer, cut Mesa’s

lead to 8-6 less than a minute into the fourth quarter with his

second goal of the contest, which came on a 6-on-5 advantage.

“As [the Highlanders] got closer, I noticed [Stowell] got the ball

a lot,” Jaroslawski said. “A lot of their shots were low, so I didn’t

have to leap too high.

“I was just hoping we could take advantage of [the Highlanders’]

mistakes.”

Teammates obliged Jaroslawski’s wish when senior Sergio Hernandez

scored Mesa’s 10th goal -- on a power play -- with 2:30 remaining off

a Yellin assist.

Junior Kyle Thorsness, a returning first-team all-league honoree

and Mesa’s leading goal scorer this season, tallied a game-high four

goals -- all coming in succession in the first and second quarters --

while senior Adam Douglas finished with two goals.

Chris Medina added a single goal for Mesa, which led, 5-1, after

one quarter and held cushions of 7-2 and 8-3, the latter following

Douglas’ goal with 3:08 left in the third period. Douglas rebounded a

Thorsness’ shot that caromed off the post for an easy score.

The Highlanders adjusted to Thorsness’ early scoring spree with

several double- and triple-teams, forcing the Mustangs to the

perimeter for the remaining two-thirds of the contest.

The Mustangs still pelted La Habra goalkeeper Michael Ramirez with

11 shots in the third period, but goals from Medina and Douglas were

the only payoffs for the hosts. Ramirez made five of his eight saves

in the third period.

The Highlanders kept themselves within striking distance with nine

steals spanning the first and second quarters.

“La Habra ran a lot of picks, but our guys did a good job of

communicating on defense,” Mesa’s first-year coach Tim Postiff said.

“[Douglas, Thorsness and Spencer] got into the passing lanes,

deflected and stole balls. And [Medina’s] goal to start the third

quarter [which gave Mesa a 7-2 lead] turned the tide.

“These kids had a lot of energy to fight a comeback. The six

seniors realized it could be their last game and they played like

it.”

The Mustangs were determined to secure their first playoff win

since 1997, when the squad reached the Division II title game.

“This is a tremendous boost to the program that shows our hard

work,” Spencer said. “We used to be horrendous, but [Thursday] we

came out on top instead of being crushed.”

*--*

CIF Division II

First round Costa Mesa 10, La Habra 6

Score by Quarters

La Habra 1 1 3 1 -- 6

Costa Mesa 5 1 2 2 -- 10

La Habra -- Steele 2, Stowell 2, Klausman 1,

Schrader 1. Saves -- Ramirez 8. Costa Mesa --

Thorsness 4, Douglas 2, Medina 1, Spencer 1,

Hernandez 1, Adamowicz 1. Saves -- Jaroslawski

10.

*--*