CCS Girls Water Polo: Decade-Long Dynasty Not Dethroned, Yet
Sacred Heart Prep Reaches 12th-Straight Championship Game
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It won’t be easy.
No. 3 SHP (21-7) faces top-seed Leland (25-3) in the inaugural Open Division final at Independence High in San Jose, the time yet to be determined. While the Gators won a 7-6 thriller over No. 2 Soquel (23-5) at chilly Holy Cross Aquatics Center in Tuesday’s semifinals at St. Francis, the host Lancers (17-9) couldn’t keep pace with the Chargers in a 12-5 loss.
SHP coach Jon Burke was visibly drained after a battle royale against the Knights, who went on an impressive four-goal run to lead 5-4 with 3:25 to play in the third quarter.
“It was an outstanding match,” Burke said. “Soquel has great team speed. They defended well. They made us play our best. It was two championship-caliber teams in the semifinals.”
The match was a defensive tiff from the outset with neither team getting off many good shots, if at all. SHP’s Nadia Paquin scored the only goal in the first period, which came at the 4:03 mark.
A second goal by Paquin, followed with back-to-back goals by freshman Eleanor Facey and the Gators had a 4-1 lead late in the first half. Soquel’s Shea Salvino rifled one home with 12 seconds to go in the half, closing the gap to 4-2.
The Knights exploded for three straight goals in the third quarter, exploiting a counter-attack in doing so.
“They started pressing us,” Burke said. “We turned the ball over three or four times in the third quarter. We didn’t score a goal. They’re a good team that counters well.”
SHP got a lucky bounce early in the fourth quarter when a long shot caromed off the top bar to Facey, who tossed the ball into the net, tying the score 5-all.
Down 6-5, sophomore Annabel Facey had a shot go off the hand of Soquel goalie Nevaeh Howard into the cage, the game tied once more.
The game reached its apex with 2:51 remaining when the Knights were awarded a 5-meter penalty shot because an SHP player didn’t exit the pool after being excluded for a foul. Burke went ballistic, expressing his displeasure with the ruling. It was all moot when the penalty shot skipped off the left post.
“The ball bounced our way a couple of times,” Burke said. “We were fortunate with the rebound that ended up literally in our center’s hand.”
The game-winning goal was scored by senior Claire Kerrigan, who spun a shot cross-cage from 9 meters out, right to left.
Soquel had one last chance to tie, but SHP goalie Natalie McAdams was up to the challenge.
“We’ve had a couple of games like this,” said McAdams, a four-year varsity player. “We had a close one on Saturday against Los Gatos.”
Paquin was assigned to guard Salvino, the Knights’ best player.
“Nadia did a great job,” McAdams said. “We all helped out.”
Soquel coach Ryan Chapatte searched for words after being on the short end of a classic.
“It was a great game, all the way through,” Chapatte said. “It’s frustrating to lose. We had a 5-meter shot to go up a goal late in the game. That would have been a huge advantage. Then they get a goal at the other end. It was a two-goal swing that late against a team with a program like theirs. That’s not something you can do.”
Chapatte praised McAdams after the match.
“Their goalie played really well,” Chapatte said. “We had a lot of momentum after that four-goal run. We had other opportunities, but we couldn’t capitalize. We had some open looks where we put the ball right on her. She made some great saves to keep them in it. We put one or two of those away and we go up by three.”
Burke is a bit surprised his Gators are back in a CCS title match.
“At the beginning of the year, we set this as a goal,” Burke said. “To have the opportunity in the inaugural year of the Open Division, is like … we’re so ecstatic to be able to play on Saturday. We’ve never talked about winning a section title. We had a plan in place to play in the finals and it has come true. It’s pretty cool.”
It was “The Nina Flynn Show” in the nightcap as the Chargers handled the Lancers in their own pool. Flynn, a junior, had six of her team’s eight first-half goals, finishing with seven for the match.
After skip shot by the Lancers’ Charlene Ma on a power play tied it at 1-all with 5:31 to play in the first period, Leland scored five unanswered before Isabella Mandema executed a lob shot over Leland goalie Georgia Stebbins with 4:18 left in the half. Emma Blackburn’s goal 17 seconds later cut the deficit to 6-3, but that was close as the St. Francis would get.
Flynn wowed the crowd right before the second period ended, scoring from just beyond mid-pool.
“I’m glad Nina is only a junior,” said Leland coach Eric Rise, in his 15th season with the Chargers, last year’s Division I champion. “She’ll play at the next level.”
Rise admitted his club, “played a perfect game.”
“This team has great chemistry,” Rise said. “A lot of these girls have played together since they were 12 years old. This is one of my deepest and most talented teams. All of them can score. That’s huge.”
The game plan for Rise was to slow down Mandema, who added a second goal when she rose from 2 meters at the 5:25 mark of the third period.
“Their No. 8 is a stud,” Rise said. “She can score from anywhere.”
All four teams in the semifinals advance to the inaugural Northern California playoffs, which begin next Tuesday.
“This was one of the best semifinal nights we’ve had,” Rise said. “All four teams were awesome. All four teams are top-10 teams in Northern California.”
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MOUNTAIN VIEW — The streak is still alive for the Sacred Heart Prep girls water polo program. The Gators, winners of 10 straight Central Coast Section Division II titles, have a chance to extend the streak of championships on Saturday.
It won’t be easy.
No. 3 SHP (21-7) faces top-seed Leland (25-3) in the inaugural Open Division final at Independence High in San Jose, the time yet to be determined. While the Gators won a 7-6 thriller over No. 2 Soquel (23-5) at chilly Holy Cross Aquatics Center in Tuesday’s semifinals at St. Francis, the host Lancers (17-9) couldn’t keep pace with the Chargers in a 12-5 loss.
SHP coach Jon Burke was visibly drained after a battle royale against the Knights, who went on an impressive four-goal run to lead 5-4 with 3:25 to play in the third quarter.
“It was an outstanding match,” Burke said. “Soquel has great team speed. They defended well. They made us play our best. It was two championship-caliber teams in the semifinals.”
The match was a defensive tiff from the outset with neither team getting off many good shots, if at all. SHP’s Nadia Paquin scored the only goal in the first period, which came at the 4:03 mark.
A second goal by Paquin, followed with back-to-back goals by freshman Eleanor Facey and the Gators had a 4-1 lead late in the first half. Soquel’s Shea Salvino rifled one home with 12 seconds to go in the half, closing the gap to 4-2.
The Knights exploded for three straight goals in the third quarter, exploiting a counter-attack in doing so.
“They started pressing us,” Burke said. “We turned the ball over three or four times in the third quarter. We didn’t score a goal. They’re a good team that counters well.”
SHP got a lucky bounce early in the fourth quarter when a long shot caromed off the top bar to Facey, who tossed the ball into the net, tying the score 5-all.
Down 6-5, sophomore Annabel Facey had a shot go off the hand of Soquel goalie Nevaeh Howard into the cage, the game tied once more.
The game reached its apex with 2:51 remaining when the Knights were awarded a 5-meter penalty shot because an SHP player didn’t exit the pool after being excluded for a foul. Burke went ballistic, expressing his displeasure with the ruling. It was all moot when the penalty shot skipped off the left post.
“The ball bounced our way a couple of times,” Burke said. “We were fortunate with the rebound that ended up literally in our center’s hand.”
The game-winning goal was scored by senior Claire Kerrigan, who spun a shot cross-cage from 9 meters out, right to left.
Soquel had one last chance to tie, but SHP goalie Natalie McAdams was up to the challenge.
“We’ve had a couple of games like this,” said McAdams, a four-year varsity player. “We had a close one on Saturday against Los Gatos.”
Paquin was assigned to guard Salvino, the Knights’ best player.
“Nadia did a great job,” McAdams said. “We all helped out.”
Soquel coach Ryan Chapatte searched for words after being on the short end of a classic.
“It was a great game, all the way through,” Chapatte said. “It’s frustrating to lose. We had a 5-meter shot to go up a goal late in the game. That would have been a huge advantage. Then they get a goal at the other end. It was a two-goal swing that late against a team with a program like theirs. That’s not something you can do.”
Chapatte praised McAdams after the match.
“Their goalie played really well,” Chapatte said. “We had a lot of momentum after that four-goal run. We had other opportunities, but we couldn’t capitalize. We had some open looks where we put the ball right on her. She made some great saves to keep them in it. We put one or two of those away and we go up by three.”
Burke is a bit surprised his Gators are back in a CCS title match.
“At the beginning of the year, we set this as a goal,” Burke said. “To have the opportunity in the inaugural year of the Open Division, is like … we’re so ecstatic to be able to play on Saturday. We’ve never talked about winning a section title. We had a plan in place to play in the finals and it has come true. It’s pretty cool.”
It was “The Nina Flynn Show” in the nightcap as the Chargers handled the Lancers in their own pool. Flynn, a junior, had six of her team’s eight first-half goals, finishing with seven for the match.
After skip shot by the Lancers’ Charlene Ma on a power play tied it at 1-all with 5:31 to play in the first period, Leland scored five unanswered before Isabella Mandema executed a lob shot over Leland goalie Georgia Stebbins with 4:18 left in the half. Emma Blackburn’s goal 17 seconds later cut the deficit to 6-3, but that was close as the St. Francis would get.
Flynn wowed the crowd right before the second period ended, scoring from just beyond mid-pool.
“I’m glad Nina is only a junior,” said Leland coach Eric Rise, in his 15th season with the Chargers, last year’s Division I champion. “She’ll play at the next level.”
Rise admitted his club, “played a perfect game.”
“This team has great chemistry,” Rise said. “A lot of these girls have played together since they were 12 years old. This is one of my deepest and most talented teams. All of them can score. That’s huge.”
The game plan for Rise was to slow down Mandema, who added a second goal when she rose from 2 meters at the 5:25 mark of the third period.
“Their No. 8 is a stud,” Rise said. “She can score from anywhere.”
All four teams in the semifinals advance to the inaugural Northern California playoffs, which begin next Tuesday.
“This was one of the best semifinal nights we’ve had,” Rise said. “All four teams were awesome. All four teams are top-10 teams in Northern California.”
Sacred Heart Schools Atherton
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12
