Ethan Eng (17) of Loyola makes a shot attempt
in the first quarter against LJ goalie George
Gayner (behind) and Ryder Jaseniuk (9).
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
The Vikings are peaking at the right time. After a stunning upset of Cathedral Catholic to win the Open Division championship three days before, Coach Tom Atwell's crew topped Loyola (Los Angeles), 15-12, in a show of confidence and skill Tues., Nov. 18, at Coggan Complex.
The occasion was the quarterfinals of the Southern California Regionals.
Star scorer Dexter Black said before the match that his squad had had a few things to fix, and once they got them fixed, the Vikings have been launched to play their best water polo of the past two years.
Once again distributing the scoring among different team members, the Vikings went on a run after halftime to increase a two-goal lead to four with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
First, Lev Kevorkian scored for a 9-6 lead. Then after the Cubs answered, Black grabbed a rebound and put it in--by then, his fifth goal of the game.
Finally, teammate and fellow All-CIFer Tor Martin, the Vikings' powerful center, smashed a ball in for his second goal of the afternoon.
It was a fitting display of the team-oriented approach that Atwell and the players have honed to a fine edge, supported by a drop-and-press defense at the other end of the pool.
Loyola, with a loyal bunch of supporters making the 240-mile round trip from Venice Blvd. for the match, gave the locals a scare late in the fourth quarter. With their season on the line, the Cubs tightened the match to two goals--down from five with 3:39 left--behind scores by Marcus Wooler, Ethan Eng, and lefty Caleb Yost before succumbing.
The Vikings' Nate Thomson, once again, "did the dirty work", as Black termed it, "not getting any of the credit." He scored two timely goals in the first half, and was the face of La Jolla's fierce defense that made it difficult for Loyola to maneuver.
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