BOYS WATER POLO: Palos Verdes waits too long to get going in CIF semifinal loss to No. 1 La Canada

PV falls behind top-seeded team 9-3, digging deep hole before a late rally.

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Palos Verdes players and coach watch from the bench as the final seconds tick off in an 11-8 loss to No. 1 La Canada at their CIF semifinal water polo match.

The big stage at William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center proved a little too daunting early for a Palos Verdes team with four first-year starters, and by the time the Sea Kings turned things around in the second half, it was too little too late.

In the second half, fourth-seeded Palos Verdes came most of the way back from a seven-goal first-half deficit, but could not come all the way back during an 11-8 loss to No. 1 La Ca?ada in the CIF Southern Section Division III semifinals Wednesday afternoon in Irvine.

"We didn't play our game at all in the first half," Palos Verdes star James Robinson said. "We did in the second half, but it was too late. We came out slow and timid. I think nerves took over. We played too mechanically in the first half."

When the two teams met Sept. 25 in a nonleague game, La Ca?ada won 16-15 in quadruple overtime. So when La Ca?ada (22-8) jumped out to a 5-1 lead after one quarter and took a 9-3 lead into halftime, it was a bit of a shock.

"We came out tight and were not moving," Palos Verdes coach Pat O'Brien said. "If you don't move on defense against a team like this they will make you pay."

Symeon Stefan made Palos Verdes pay with four first-half goals and left-hander Alden Geller added three goals in the first half.

But when

Duncan Mactavish scored off a pass from Benison Waung with 59 seconds left in the second quarter to pull Palos Verdes (25-6) to within 9-3 going into halftime, it gave the Sea Kings momentum going into the second half.

After a quick goal by La Ca?ada gave the Spartans a 10-3 lead in the third quarter, Palos Verdes scored five unanswered goals.

Robinson scored a power- play goal off a pass from Tyler Megginson to get the ball rolling, and then Luc Ceverha skipped one in after taking a pass from Waung.

Ceverha scored from in close on the power play off a pass from Zack Trotter, and then a point-blank save by Alek Ruzic set up another goal.

Palos Verdes was fouled on a counterattack and earned a power play of its own.

Megginson shot one off the post, and then Trotter pounced on the rebound and scored to pull Palos Verdes to within 10-7 with 1:39 left in the third quarter.

After a couple more big saves by Ruzic early in the fourth quarter, Megginson scored a power-play goal in transition, and Palos Verdes trailed 10-8 with 3:10 left in regulation.

But when Bryce Hopkins scored from just outside 2 meters, it gave La Ca?ada an 11-8 lead with 1:13 left, essentially putting the game out of reach.

"In the third quarter I think we realized we had nothing to lose, and we started playing the way we could," Robinson said.

Robinson led Palos Verdes with three goals, Ceverha had two goals and Trotter, Megginson and Mactavish added goals for the Sea Kings. Ruzic made 14 saves, including several from point-blank range, to help keep Palos Verdes within striking distance.

"It's hard to win a CIF championship," O'Brien said. "Only one team gets to do it. I'm just happy we came back and showed our true character."

Stefan and Geller had four goals each and Jeff Lee made 15 saves for La Ca?ada, which moves to the final on Saturday against Riverside King.

Palos Verdes is left to reflect on a successful season in which it won 25 games and all of its losses came against quality opponents.

"It was a great season. It just didn't end the way we wanted," Robinson said. "We did all we could with what we had. That's all you can do."

dave.thorpe@dailybreeze.com

Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_22000702/boys-water-polo-palos-verdes-waits-too-long?source=rss

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