Chargers advance to CIF girls’ water polo semifinals

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers TWO DOWN, TWO TO GO—Agoura’s Nicole Sands, right, battles Oxnard’s Rachel Pasienski during the Chargers’ first-round victory. Agoura girls’ water polo head coach Jason Rosenthal saw something he didn’t like and promptly called a timeout.

It was only one minute and 17 seconds into the Chargers’ CIF Division IV second-round matchup against Arroyo Grande, yet Rosenthal sensed something was amiss with his team.

“We’ve been working on stuff for a week now, things we need to do,” the coach said. “The first 30 seconds of the game they weren’t doing it. I told them they had to adjust and what to do, and to get their heads into it.

“From that point on,” Rosenthal said, “they did what they’re supposed to do.”

Down 1-0 in its home pool, Agoura came out of the timeout and put seven unanswered goals past the Arroyo Grande defense to close out the first quarter.

Sophomore Casey Flacks said Rosenthal told the girls to calm down and perform the way they’re capable of playing.

“He told us to relax and slow everything down,” Flacks said. “We were all so excited for the game that we were just a little out of place.”

Following the first-quarter scoring explosion, the Chargers would never again be tested in the contest, eventually breezing to an 18-10 win and earning a spot in Friday’s semifinal against Marmonte League rival Royal, who defeated Dos Pueblos, 10-7.

Carly Clark and Meghan Corso led AHS with five goals apiece. Flacks added four goals.

Agoura also received scoring contributions from Lindsay Grosswendt, Jillian Waldron and Emily Schmachtenberger.

The Agoura defense, led by goalkeeper Sara Gralitzer, was in top form throughout, allowing only five goals through the first three quarters before Rosenthal replaced many of the team’s starters in the fourth quarter.

“We came out on defense better than we’ve ever done before,” Clark said. “We were talking to each other and making sure we knew what was going on. When we talk more, it’s harder for the other team to do stuff on offense.”

Arroyo Grande scored half of its goals with under five minutes remaining in the game, making the final score appear closer than it was.

AHS has outscored its opponents, 46-17, through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The big leads have meant extended playing time for several backups and junior varsity call-ups.

But Corso said she expects the games to get much tighter from here on out.

“The games are definitely going to be closer,” Corso said. “But they’ll be fun to play. It’s always exciting to play in a big semifinal match.”

Just minutes after the victory, the Charger players had already turned their attention to Friday’s showdown against Royal.

Agoura beat Royal twice during the regular season, but Rosenthal said those wins will mean nothing once game time approaches.

“(Royal) is fired up,” Rosenthal said. “They’re ready to play us. They want to play us. It’s going to be a good, competitive, physical game.”

The winner of Friday’s game will take on either Santa Barbara or Cabrillo in the finals Tuesday afternoon at Rio Mesa High School.

Agoura, the 2001 CIF champions, lost to Santa Barbara in the finals last year. Several Charger players said a shot at redemption has been their motivation all season long.

“It would be the icing on the cake, the best thing ever for us,” Clark said. “After finals last year we started swim season and have been working (hard) ever since. Now it comes to this. It would be everything for us, all we’ve wanted.”

Friday’s semifinal is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. at Westlake High.