Oaks Christian girls water polo team completes inspiring comeback to knock off top-seeded Mater Dei, advance to CIF-Southern Section Open Division final

SANTA ANA – Mia Fabros wasn’t going to be denied.

Makena Bygrave didn’t back down from the challenge.

Nicole O’Neill couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

And Alex Stoddard wouldn’t let one of the most impressive rallies in CIF-Southern Section girls water polo playoff history by Oaks Christian be upstaged in the final seconds Tuesday night by Kirra Pantaleon and host Mater Dei.

Post-match interviews

Fabros scored five of her match-high six goals in the fourth quarter, Bygrave forced overtime with her fifth score late in regulation, O’Neill produced the deciding goal with 43 seconds remaining in the second overtime period and Stoddard stopped the potential tying 5-meter penalty shot by Pantaleon to help the No. 4 Lions complete an inspired comeback with a 12-11 victory in an Open Division pool-play match against top-seeded Mater Dei at William Lyon Homes Aquatic Center.

Oaks Christian (21-7) advanced to its first Open Division championship match in program history and will square off at 12:10 p.m. Saturday against No. 3 Newport Harbor (24-5) – a 12-11 sudden-death overtime winner Tuesday against second-seeded Orange Lutheran (23-4) – at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Oaks Christian girls water polo team | Photo courtesy of Oaks Christian

The Lions are making their second appearance in a section final, winning the Division 3 title in 2019.

The Sailors won two of three regular-season meetings against Oaks Christian, including a 12-7 victory Jan. 25 at the Newport Invite at Santa Ana Foothill High. The teams have never met before in a section final.

Mater Dei (23-4) was seeking a return trip to the Open Division championship match, but the Monarchs were unable to protect an 11-7 advantage following Pantaleon’s third goal with 2:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Oaks Christian produced four goals in the final 2:30 of regulation, with Bygrave and Fabros each scoring twice.

Fabros, who scored her first goal in the third quarter, was successful on a pair of 5-meter penalty shots in the fourth. She produced all five goals in less than a five-minute span in the final quarter, including back-to-back scores in the final two minutes to cut the deficit to 11-10.

Bygrave tied the score at 11-11 with 25 seconds left in regulation and the Lions recorded a field block on Mater Dei’s final offensive possession to extend the contest.

After neither team managed to gain the advantage in the first three-minute extra period, the USC-bound O’Neill scored her lone goal of the match on a 6-on-5 advantage with 43 seconds left in the second overtime session.

Mater Dei was able to create a player advantage of its own on the ensuing offensive possession, but appeared to turn the ball over in the final seconds, only to be awarded a 5-meter penalty shot when Oaks Christian was ruled by officials to have returned to even strength too early in the pool.

Stoddard, who was already successful in blocking Pantaleon – a USC commit – on a 5-meter penalty shot in the second quarter, denied the Mater Dei junior standout once again with five seconds left in the second overtime period and the Lions ran out the clock to secure the thrilling come-from-behind victory.

Stoddard finished with 15 saves and helped Oaks Christian hold the Monarchs scoreless for the final 8:55 of the contest, including overtime, after Mater Dei built an 8-4 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

Maryam Maamoun and Fabros both contributed three assists apiece, with O’Neill adding two assists for the Lions, who rebounded from a 16-8 pool-play loss Jan. 24 against Mater Dei at the Newport Invite at Santa Ana Foothill High.

EJ Hourigan, a senior, and junior Riley Johnson – both USC-bound athletes – each scored twice, with Delaney Hook, Bella Jurgensen, Indiana-bound Penny Mauser and Maggie Ryan all adding goals for the Monarchs, who received 10 saves from another USC commit in junior goalkeeper Sienna Sorensen.