The VC men's water polo team took a roller coaster ride to a 9-8 overtime victory over visiting Los Angeles Valley Wednesday at the Ventura Aquatic Center. VC let a 4-1 halftime lead slip away, and fell behind 8-7 in the final minute before Coby Wiegman tied the score with just seven seconds remaining in regulation. After a scoreless first overtime period, CJ Daland assisted a breakaway goal by Kevin Smallwood with 1:08 remaining in the second extra stanza to lift the Pirates to victory.
Ventura (15-6, 3-0) rolled out to a 3-0 advantage in the first quarter on a pair of scored from Daland and one from Clint Howard. Midway through the second period Kyle Goodrich found the back of the net and the Pirates led 4-0. The Monarchs got on the board before halftime, giving Ventura the 4-1 lead at intermission.
LA Valley managed to close the deficit to a single goal early in the third period, but scored from Daland, Smallwood and Howard reestablished the three-goal advantage for the Prates at the end of the period, 7-4.
In the final quarter, the Monarchs scored four straight goals, the final one with 19 seconds remaining in the regulation time, to take an 8-7 lead. With one possession remaining, the Pirates cashed in when Daland assisted Wiegman's score with seven ticks left on the clock to send the game into overtime.
The teams remained knotted at 8-8 through the first three-minute overtime period, and after switching sides, through most of the second, as well. Then, with just over a minute remaining, Roger Escalante stole an outlet pass on a Valley fast break, and, in turn, threw it ahead to Daland on the couterattack. Daland hit Smallwood streaking toward the goal on a two-on-one, and he pushed the ball into the net for the game-winner with 1:08 remaining.
Goalie Luis Galvez had a key save, and Howard had a key steal on an LAVC power play in the final minute to help preserve the victory for the Pirates.
Daland led the Ventura offense with three goals and four assists. Howard and Smallwood each scored twice. Wiegman, Goodrich and Jack Pickett all had two assists.
Defensively, Wiegman had four steals while Howard and Escalante had three and two thefts, respectively. Galvez had 14 blocks in the cage for the Pirates.
Ventura maintains its path to the top seed in next month's Western State Conference Tournament with the win. They can secure the top spot with a win at Cuesta on Friday Oct. 14. VC will play the Cougars as part of the Cuesta Tournament in San Luis Obispo.
The Pirates open with Merced at 8:30am on Friday Oct. 14 at Arroyo Grande High School before playing the Cougars at Cuesta at 11:15 am. They will finish play Friday with a contest against Ohlone at 1:25pm and play three more games Saturday Oct. 15.