Water Polo Women

Enjoying the cushion of a four-goal lead heading into the final period, most water polo teams relax and mentally put a "W" in the win-loss column. Not the U.S. women's squad. Not Friday. Not after Wednesday. Not with a slot in the Olympic semifinals on the line. So, with the water lapping at their chins and the memory of Wednesday's embarrassing, fourth-quarter collapse against Canada lapping at their minds, the U.S.

It's seems like a regular ritual. Leagues hold their championship chases, teams jockey to qualify for the postseason . . . then coaches complain about their playoff draw. But for the Southern Section girls' water polo Division I playoffs, there's no sense whining. Why? "There's not many easy games out there," Santa Margarita Coach Scott Taylor said. "It's not an easy road for anyone. There's a lot of tough teams." How tough is the Division I draw?

The Foothill girls' water polo team has dominated this season so thoroughly that some might concede tonight's Southern Section Division I championship game to the Knights. Foothill carries a 21-game winning streak into the final. The Knights have won 35 of their last 36, including a victory in last season's Division I title game. They have outscored opponents, 29-5, in three playoff games. And the team it meets tonight in the final, Santa Margarita?

For most of last season, there wasn't much doubt which girls' water polo team was the best in Orange County. Still, highly-touted Foothill did need an overtime period to win the Southern Section Division I championship game. And for most of the season, there wasn't much doubt who was the best player: Capistrano Valley's Amber Stachowski, the Times' Orange County player of the year. Sure, Brittany Hayes and Gabbie Domanic racked up the goals for No. 1-ranked Foothill.

FIRST TEAM Cara Chlebicki, MARINA UTILITY SR. Chlebicki, like player of the year Amber Stachowski, is a junior national team member. Her all-around play helped the Vikings win a share of the Sunset League title and reach the Division I quarterfinals, where they lost to Foothill. Her defense and unselfishness set her apart. Named Sunset co-MVP with Los Alamitos' Drue Wawrzynski. Has signed with California. Gabbie Domanic, FOOTHILL UTILITY SO.

Minneapolis is hosting the big dance this year, the Final Four at the Metrodome in two weeks. About 1 1/2 hours away, Rochester is throwing a little party of its own. And with a fortunate bounce of the basketball, the Cal Poly Pomona women's team got an invitation. Thanks to their dramatic 63-62 victory over Seattle Pacific in the West Regional final, the Broncos are back on the national scene. They play Pace University of Pleasantville, N.Y., tonight in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.

Erika Figge's fourth-quarter goal Sunday in the championship game at the Canada Cup women's water polo tournament did little to impact the outcome--the United States lost, 14-8, to Australia--but it was monumental for the team's youngest member. Figge, 16, a sophomore at Santa Margarita High, joined UCLA freshman Thalia Munroe as one of two teenagers who made their debut last week with the women's national team, part of a new effort by U.S.

Girls' water polo is only in its third season as a Southern Section championship sport, but a dynasty already appears to be in the making. Bell Gardens won the Division III title and finished 30-0 last season. The Lancers are 16-0 this season with a team that has only one senior. "There should be a division for Bell Gardens and then Division I," Fullerton Rosary Coach Todd Sprague said earlier this season. "They are in a class by themselves."

First team *--* Name School Year Joanna Antonsen Agoura Junior *--* Proved a multiple threat with 55 goals, 64 steals and a school-record 37 assists for Marmonte League champions. *--* Rachel Burkons Harvard-Westlake Senior *--* All-Southern Section Division III selection was the second-leading scorer for section-finalist Wolverines.

For as long as there has been water polo for girls at Harvard-Westlake High, there's been Jeanine Jackson. The multitalented Jackson is a player a coach can and should build a program around. And that's exactly what Rich Corso has done. With Jackson leading the charge the last four seasons, Harvard-Westlake has been a perennial Southern Section force. This season Jackson led the Wolverines to the Division III championship game against undefeated and defending champion Bell Gardens.