OCC women roll, again

LOS ALAMITOS - Orange Coast College was the winner in women’s water

polo Saturday, and that should not come as a surprise to many.

For the fifth time this season the Pirates laid claim to a tournament

championship as they extended their record to 26-0 following victories

over Golden West in a semifinal, 7-4, and 10-3 over the host Long Beach

City Vikings in the final.

Neisha Hoagland led the way in the title game with five goals as Coast

was in command throughout, leading 5-2 at halftime and entering the final

quarter with the title well in hand with a 7-2 lead.

Tia Montalvo and Erica Nicholson each scored twice and Heather Deyden

posted five saves.

In the semifinal victory over Golden West’s Rustlers it was a more

balanced attack with Devon Wright and Tia Montalvo scoring twice,

augmented by single tallies from Hoagland, Christine McDonald and

Nicholson.

The semifinal was a much tougher game for Coast, which had to rally

from a 2-1 halftime deficit.

The Pirates did it in style, scoring four times in the third period to

take a 5-2 lead into the final quarter.

Deyden was again big in the net, posting eight saves for the state’s

No.1-ranked Pirates.

Over the course of the two-day, four-game tournament, Hoagland netted

11 goals, Montalvo had six and Wright, McDonald and Nicholson had five

apiece. Deyden, a product of Newport Harbor High, had 17 saves.

LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE WOMEN’S WATER POLO TOURNAMENT

Semifinal

Orange Coast 7, Golden West 4

Golden West 1 1 0 2 - 4

Orange Coast 1 0 4 2 - 7

GWC - Avery 2, Bounds 1, Farris 1. Saves - Sunderman 8.

OCC - Wright 2, Montalvo 2, Hoagland 1, McDonald 1, Nicholson 1. Saves

- Deyden 8.

Final

Orange Coast 10, Long Beach 3 Long Beach 1 1 0 1 - 3 Orange Coast 3 2 2 3 - 10

Long Beach - Zebisch 3. Saves - Pastor 4.

OCC - Hoagland 5, Montalvo 2, Nicholson 2, McDonald 1. Saves - Deyden

5.