Mustangs gain upper hand

Bryce Alderton

One of Tim Postiff’s goals heading into his first season as Costa

Mesa High’s boys water polo coach was steering the program in the

right direction while helping it gain added recognition.

The Mustangs took a significant step toward generating added

acclaim Tuesday with a spirited 10-8, come-from-behind victory

against visiting Saddleback, the two-time defending Golden West

League champions.

The victory vaults Mesa (8-2, 3-0 in league) into the league’s top

spot ahead of the Roadrunners (7-7, 2-1) with three league games left

for each team.

“Finally,” said Mesa’s two-meter junior standout Kyle Thorsness,

who scored all four of his goals in the third period as the Mustangs

outscored the Roadrunners, 5-0, to take a 10-7 lead into the fourth

quarter. “This is the game we were working for. It took a lot to

win.”

Thorsness typified the Mustangs’ adrenaline rush when he pumped

his fist high into the air and let out a yell after scoring his final

goal with one second left in the third period.

Thorsness, drifting nearly to mid-pool, two-hopped his shot into

the right side of the Saddleback goal, sending Mesa fans, who filled

most of the one side of bleachers, into jubilant roars.

“Costa Mesa has a lot of good fans. We knew the stands would be

packed,” Saddleback Coach Monte McCord said. “This is a great game to

play in.

“[The Mustangs] outplayed us. They were strong and we didn’t have

an answer for them. Their experience paid off.”

The Mustangs feature seven seniors, including Adam Douglas, who

scored four of his game-high five goals in the first half. Anthony

Adamowicz’s goal with three seconds left in the first period tied the

score at 3 after Mesa took a brief 2-1 lead.

The Roadrunners, though, took advantage of their nine

man-advantage scenarios, scoring on five of them in the first half,

to take a 7-5 halftime lead. Postiff altered his defense in the

second half.

Postiff inserted Thorsness at two-meter defense while using

Douglas as the primary option in the offensive set. Douglas

eventually aided at two-meter defense after Adamowicz received his

third ejection, forcing him to leave the game.

“Kyle has long arms,” Postiff said. “He forced [a Roadrunner] to

put the ball under about four times and had two or three steals at

two meters, so that’s six or seven possessions for us right there.”

Douglas cut Saddleback’s lead to 7-6 with a goal on a 6-on-5

chance 1 minute, 14 seconds into the third period. Thirty-eight

seconds later, Thorsness, draped by a defender, took a pass from Evan

Spencer and whipped the shot into the cage for the game-tying goal

and the first of his four straight scores.

Spencer and Douglas each had two assists.

Saddleback’s Christian Colchado trimmed Mesa’s lead to 10-8 with

the second of his two goals with 5:11 remaining in the fourth

quarter, before the defenses took over.

Mesa defenders often collapsed on Saddleback’s two-meter players,

making it difficult for the Roadrunners to generate open shots.

Luke Yellin contributed to the fourth-quarter defense with a

left-handed block on a Roadrunner shot.

Thorsness said the extra laps players swim in practice gave them

strength throughout Tuesday’s contest.

“At 6 [a.m.] we are out here swimming a lot and it really paid

off,” Thorsness said.

Senior goalkeeper Matt Jaroslawski finished with five saves for

Mesa.

*--*

Golden West League

Costa Mesa 10, Saddleback 8 Score by Quarters

Sadd 3 4 0 1 -- 8

Mesa 3 2 5 0 -- 10

Sadd -- Roman 2, Ochoa 2, Colchado 2, Garcia 1,

Gonzales 1. Saves -- Velazquez 3.

Mesa -- Douglas 5, Thorsness 4, Adamowicz 1.

Saves -- Jaroslawski 5.

*--*