Orange Lutheran enjoys fantastic final act against rival Mater Dei to secure back-to-back Division 1 regional girls water polo championships, third in program history

LONG BEACH – One year after achieving a perfect season, Orange Lutheran was able to celebrate the most fitting conclusion to the exceptional prep careers of five seniors Saturday in the Southern California Division 1 girls water polo regional final.

The fourth-seeded Lancers produced three goals in the first two minutes against rival Mater Dei and never relinquished control, becoming the first program to win back-to-back Division 1 regional championships with a 10-6 victory against the No. 3 Monarchs at Long Beach City College.

Post-match interviews

Michelle Urkov, a UC Irvine commit, had three goals and two steals, UCLA signee Jailynn Robinson added two goals, three steals and two assists, USC-bound Kate Sloman contributed a goal and an assist, Bucknell recruit Addie Wedding helped hold Mater Dei scoreless in the fourth quarter and future San Diego State goalkeeper Kyla Pranajaya recorded 10 saves for Orange Lutheran (26-4).

From left, Orange Lutheran girls water polo seniors Addie Wedding, Michelle Urkov, Kyla Pranajaya, Kate Sloman and Jailynn Robinson | Erik Boal photo

Pranajaya added a pair of steals, in addition to blocking a 5-meter penalty shot by Mater Dei leading scorer Kirra Pantaleon in the third quarter.

It provided an anticlimactic end to one of the most thrilling rivalries of the season, which included last-second heroics and overtime battles, as Orange Lutheran secured victories in the final two matchups – including a 10-9 triumph Jan. 28 to decide the Trinity League title – after Mater Dei (25-5) had earned wins in the first three tournament showdowns.

The Monarchs halted Orange Lutheran’s 38-match winning streak with a 10-9 victory Jan. 4 in their first meeting at the Bill Barnett Holiday Cup, but the Lancers made sure they were the last team standing Saturday to become the only school to win three Division 1 regional championships in event history, along with the 2019 title.

Estelle Karaba, Sloman and Urkov gave Orange Lutheran the early advantage, before Maggie Ryan helped Mater Dei finally get on the board with 4:56 left in the opening quarter.

Robinson extended the Lancers’ advantage to 4-1 entering the second, with Allison Cohen converting a 5-meter penalty shot on Orange Lutheran’s opening possession of the quarter to build a four-goal lead.

Despite a pair of goals from freshman Paige Segesman and a rebound score by Bella Jurgensen, Mater Dei faced a 7-4 halftime deficit, as Cohen and Urkov both struck again midway through the quarter for the Lancers.

Karaba and Robinson produced goals less than 60 seconds apart early in the third to increase the Orange Lutheran lead to 9-4, as the Lancers held Mater Dei scoreless for a stretch of more than eight minutes during the second and third quarters.

Delaney Hook and Ryan both scored for the Monarchs late in the third quarter, with Urkov adding her team-leading third goal with a minute left for Orange Lutheran, which also became the first school to make four appearances in the Division 1 regional final.

With neither lineup scoring in the fourth, the Lancers were able to hold Mater Dei to its season-low scoring output, eclipsing a 10-8 setback Dec. 7 against San Marcos.

Orange Lutheran prevailed by an 8-4 margin against Mater Dei in last year’s regional final to cap a 31-0 season under coach Brenda Villa, which followed a 12-4 victory a week earlier against the Monarchs in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship.

Orange Lutheran girls water polo coach Brenda Villa and team | Erik Boal photo

Despite the Lancers having their bid for a potential third consecutive Open Division crown halted Feb. 18 following a 12-11 sudden-death overtime loss against Newport Harbor at Santiago Canyon College, Orange Lutheran regrouped to knock off The Bishop’s School of La Jolla – winner of the past seven CIF-San Diego Section Open Division titles – in the opening round of the Division 1 regional playoffs.

The Lancers then eliminated reigning Southern Section Open Division champion Oaks Christian in the regional semifinals, before denying Mater Dei its first Division 1 regional crown since the event’s inaugural year in 2018.

Sienna Sorensen, a USC-bound junior goalkeeper, had nine saves for Mater Dei, which rebounded from a 12-11 overtime loss Feb. 18 against Oaks Christian in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs to prevail against Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor to return to the Division 1 regional championship match.