IRVINE — La Serna’s boys water polo team maintained a fast pace throughout its CIF-SS Division 2 championship match against San Clemente on Saturday at Woollett Aquatics Center.
That up-tempo pace created plenty of scoring chances for the Lancers, who came away a 16-9 victory.
“That was the game plan,” La Serna coach John Pringle said. “That was the mentality. These boys brought it. There was a concern, it was maybe our boys taking it easy and they never did.”
A trio of players combined for 13 of the 16 goals for the Lancers (26-8), the No. 3 seed, and that made the job of playing defense difficult for No. 2 seed San Clemente (17-7).
Evan Borunda led with five goals and Aidan Gutierrez and Tanner Overbeck each scored four goals for the Lancers.
“All season, if one guy is off another guy picks him up,” Pringle said. “We’re lucky to have boys who can do it and want to do it. Tonight, they were all there.”
La Serna goalie Coen Kuns was also outstanding, finishing with 13 saves.
“He’s our backbone,” Pringle said. “He’s the reason we’re here.”
San Clemente took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Aaron Hathaway 30 seconds into the match.
But then the Lancers answered with four consecutive goals – two from Overbeck, and one each from Gutierrez and Borunda – to take a 4-1 lead.
Goals from Jake Hoss and Cross Viter got the Tritons within a goal.
Then a quick goal by Borunda off a pass from Tanner Avalos put La Serna up 5-3 heading into the second quarter and the Lancers never led by less than two the rest of the game.
“They were beating us at center from the very beginning and they got out on the counter on us, and I thought we were going to have the edge on that so you got to give them credit,” San Clemente coach Logan Powell said. “Their goalie had a hell of a game and their outside shooters put the ball away.”
Attacker Ray Hickman, one of San Clemente’s key offensive players all season, was held to one goal and one assist.
“We never really got into much of a rhythm offensively,” San Clemente coach Logan Powell said. “Our balance really struggled, and without balance Ray doesn’t have any room to move. You could tell they prepped for us. They understood a lot of our stuff.”
Both teams qualify for the CIF Southern California Regional Championship playoffs that begin Tuesday. The pairings will be announced Sunday.
