Last-minute heartbreak Last-minute heartbreak (November 18, 2005)

Los Altos water polo once again thwarted in CCS Semis by nemesis Sacred Heart

By Scott Campbell

The stars appeared finally to be aligned for the Los Altos boys water polo squad. After years of knocking on the CCS championship door, everything seemed to be coming together at the right time for the Eagles.

And then, in the blink of an eye, it all fell apart.

Despite a dramatic, game-tying goal from Matthew Wiener late in this CCS Division II boys water polo semifinal at Independence High School on Nov. 15, Los Altos suffered a last-minute turnover that gave Sacred Heart Prep a breakaway opportunity.

Game over, 10-9 Gators. And it was heartbreak all over again for Los Altos.

Despite entering the game on a 15-4 run since Oct. 1 -- a streak that included an emotional first-round victory over No. 2 St. Francis -- and leading much of the way against No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep, the Eagles saw their season end short of a CCS title once again.

"I thought this was our year to take it," Los Altos coach Jon Wiener said of a program that has made nine consecutive CCS appearances without winning a championship. "We were on a huge run and the guys were playing well together. I'm kind of shocked. I thought we were going to keep going." (Wiener is also a reporter for the Voice .)

After a seesaw battle through three quarters, the Gators (24-8) went up 9-8 with 4:20 left in the game when Tim Norton scored, giving his team its first lead since the game's opening minutes.

But No. 7 Los Altos confidently weathered the storm and grabbed the momentum right back with the clock ticking down.

Taking a pass at the outer stretches of Sacred Heart Prep's defense, the younger Wiener, Jon's brother, parked a shot into the top-right corner of the Gators' net with 1:43 to play, the type of goal that usually breaks an opponent's back.

"That was the best shot of my career," said Wiener, a senior driver who finished with two goals and an assist. "It was pretty huge. I was amped up and it psyched up the team."

But after using a timeout to draw up a play for the go-ahead goal with 51 seconds remaining, Los Altos invited disaster when seniors Tim Miller and Vahig Manugian miscommunicated on a pass and the Gators stole the ball.

After being neutralized for most of the game, Sacred Heart Prep's superior team speed finally paid off. With two Gators breaking down the left and their teammate Randy Ang sprinting down the right, Los Altos faced a 3-on-2 counterattack.

Eagles goalie Mike Peterson was forced to commit to Sacred Heart Prep's Elliot Samuels, leaving Ang wide open for the pass and game-winning goal with 26 seconds left.

"There were three guys open," Peterson said. "I don't know what happened. [Samuels] crossed it to the guy over, so there was basically nothing we could do."

Los Altos (23-11) had one more chance, but tight defense by the Gators, especially on Eagles' senior hole set Tyler Smith, tied up any last-gasp effort as the Eagles failed to get a shot off.

Smith led the Eagles' offense with three goals, while Miller scored once and registered three assists.

Ang recorded three goals to pace Sacred Heart Prep.

Gators coach Brian Kreutzkamp was relieved his team survived to advance to the championship game against Menlo.

"They were the hottest team in CCS," Kreutzkamp said of the Eagles. "With them beating St. Francis, I knew that they were going to be really confident."

The semifinal loss to Sacred Heart Prep was the second for Los Altos in three years. The Gators also eliminated Los Altos, 12-6, in 2003.

And the Eagles' defeat marked their second consecutive, down-to-the-wire loss in CCS play. The Eagles were ousted by Santa Cruz, 5-4, in the 2004 quarterfinals.

"We had a great class of seniors," said coach Wiener, "and for them never to play in a CCS final, I feel like they missed out on something."

Peterson, the senior goalie, agreed.

"Definitely a disappointment. We could've won. I guess I'm kind of leaving here with a sick taste in my mouth."

E-mail Scott Campbell at sports@mv-voice.com

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