Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now
Read more Angels fans excited about Arte Moreno selling the team, with some concerns
MISSION VIEJO — Avenging heartbreaking losses in the competitive tides of South County water polo is no easy task but the Dana Hills boys made more progress on Tuesday.
With a blend of a few seniors and several young players, the Dolphins knocked off reigning CIF-SS Division 2 champion and host Capistrano Valley 11-8 to improve to 2-0.
Last season, Dana Hills lost twice to the Cougars in the Sea View League. The Dolphins’ combined deficit was five goals.
Dana Hills also dropped a pair of tightly-contested matches against Aliso Niguel, including one in the first round of the Division 2 playoffs.
The Dolphins and coach Kenny Yamamoto opened their season last week by defeating Aliso Niguel 12-8.
“Definitely exciting,” Dana Hills sophomore Hutch Zeulner said of beating two South Coast League teams. “We expect to be pretty competitive.”
“The only person we lost in our lineup from last year was our goalie,” he added.
Dana Hills never trailed against Capistrano Valley (1-1) thanks to a diverse center attack. The Dolphins drove several different players into 2-meters to draw exclusions, penalties or score.
Senior Gavin Calder led eight Dolphins in scoring with three goals.
Zeulner added two goals, including one off a penalty shot drawn by Calder in the first period.
Read more Jordan Chiles to join coaching staff for UCLA gymnastics
Senior Tim McCulloch drew a team-high four exclusions and a penalty.
Senior Khalil Smieja added a goal from set on a backhanded shot in the second.
“We like constant movement,” Zeulner said of his team’s offense, “(and) working for whatever side the center has. Always great to get a 6-on-5.”
Dana Hills led by as many four goals in the first half before Capistrano Valley left-hander Lucas Saman erupted for four of his match-high five goals in the second quarter. The outburst helped trim the Dolphins’ lead to 7-6 at halftime.
The Dolphins showed their unity for a key man-advantage strike in the third. Coming out of a timeout, Calder skipped in a low shot from the perimeter to push the lead to 8-6 with 5:10 left.
Dana Hills started 3 for 6 on the power-play before finishing 3 for 8. Capistrano Valley went 1 for 6 with the extra attacker.
Dolphins goalie Joshua Zarzycki, a sophomore, made two blocks against the man-advantage in the fourth to finish with six saves.
Capistrano Valley returns three starters from a squad that captured the first section title in school history. Coach OJ Vazquez’s team played without center Tyler Bauer (injured).
Colin Carlin had two goals to support Saman.
“Losing five seniors who contributed last year … kind of hurts,” Vazquez said. “Right now, the process is figuring out where we’re at and what we have.”
“It’s not how we always start,” the coach added, “it’s how we finish, hopefully.”
Read more USC’s Lincoln Riley cool-headed after discourse over heat, game attendance