Oilers storm back to stun CdM

Rainstorms passed through coastal Orange County on Wednesday afternoon, leading to humid and windy conditions on the pool deck at Corona del Mar High.

The rain was good for Southern California and its drought. But it was a drought of goals that hurt the CdM boys’ water polo team in its nonleague season opener against Huntington Beach.

The visiting Oilers scored six in a row at one point in the second half, rallying for a 9-7 win in a meeting of CIF Southern Section Division 1 powers.

Both CdM and Huntington Beach reached the playoff semifinals last year before bowing out. This year, it’s the No. 5 Oilers who are ranked a spot higher in the Division 1 preseason poll compared to the No. 6 Sea Kings.

CdM Coach Barry O’Dea knows that his team has at most one more game with Huntington Beach, as both squads are in the South Coast Tournament.

“[This was] a really big game at the beginning of the year, right off the bat, with two teams that are battling for a ranking position for a whole season,” O’Dea said.

In the end, it was too much James Vlachonassios for Huntington Beach. Vlachonassios, a senior, led everyone with five goals, four of those coming in the second half.

He helped Huntington Beach come back from a 6-3 deficit midway through the third quarter after CdM junior Will Rodosky scored on a power play drawn by senior Foster Hoose.

First, Vlachonassios scored inside, then teammate Skyler Munatones connected from the outside to bring the visitors within 6-5 after three quarters. Vlachonassios would score three more times to start the fourth quarter. The last one, where he spun around a CdM defender, gave the Oilers an 8-6 lead.

“He’s our senior,” Oilers first-year Coach Sasa Branisavljevic said. “He’s one of the more experienced players, and he stepped up when it was time. That is what is expected of him, and he did his job.”

Then, a CdM miscommunication on defense left Huntington’s Jacob Cavano open in front of the net. He put away the shot, giving the Oilers a 9-6 lead with 3:35 to play.

CdM senior Jon Polos connected from five meters with 1:55 left, which was CdM’s first goal in more than a quarter. But the Sea Kings couldn’t get closer.

Senior center Brendan Hack had a standout game for the Sea Kings, with a team-best three goals. He also drew four exclusions for CdM, which could connect on just three of nine power-play opportunities. The Sea Kings also couldn’t score on a six-on-four chance in the first half.

“We were way more timid in that game than we were in practice for the last two weeks,” O’Dea said. “I was a little surprised that our six-on-five wasn’t a little bit more successful, but we’ll fix that. We fix that, that’s a different ball game.”

Polos and Rodosky each scored twice for CdM, with Rodosky adding three steals. Junior goalie Matt Moran, a transfer from University, played well in recording nine saves, and Hoose, senior Vincent Ong and sophomore Henry Wilde added steals.

And O’Dea also praised the set defense of seniors Andres White (one steal, two field blocks) and Ben Brooks.

“My center defenders did a great job today,” said O’Dea, after watching heralded Oilers junior center Quinten Osborne score one goal.

Ethan Wojciechowski also scored for Huntington Beach, and goalie Patrick Saunders made 10 saves.

O’Dea certainly was fired up for Wednesday’s game. He received a yellow card in the first quarter. His demeanor was calmer and more happy after the game, especially when Hack’s mom, Laurie, carried over O’Dea’s youngest daughter, Greta, who is two months old.

He knows that CdM will have time to make adjustments before its next game, which isn’t until Sept. 22 at home against rival Long Beach Wilson. The Bruins, ranked No. 9 in Division 1, lost to No. 8 Newport Harbor, 11-10, on Tuesday.

“It’s kind of a shot to the gut,” O’Dea said of Wednesday’s loss. “It’s either, hey, you’re going to play and win, or these are the kind of games that are hard to lose. I think the guys are going to look at that. We have a week and a half off now to get ready for Long Beach ... It’s a long season. It’s a really long season.

“Come November, I think we’re going to be pretty good.”