Miraleste Water Polo Team Advances in CIF 2-A Playoffs

Miraleste High advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section 2-A water polo playoffs Saturday by beating an aggressive Alhambra team, 16-14, at Alhambra Park.

Miraleste, 21-5, will face the winner of the Cabrillo-San Marino match Tuesday at a site to be determined. Alhambra, the Foothill League champions, ended the year 11-2.

Alhambra’s Rolando Rojas scored to give the Moors a 1-0 lead, but then Miraleste scored six unanswered goals, including two by Brian Johnston, to take control.

Miraleste led 7-4 after two quarters, but goals by Alhambra’s Victor Arrelano and Sandor Poka narrowed the lead to 7-6 with 3:35 to go in the third period.

Miraleste led by two goals six times after that, but Alhambra kept coming back. “We need to improve on defense,” Miraleste Coach Chick McIlroy said.

Miraleste finally scored two goals in a row in the fourth quarter, when Zoltan Gyurko and Andy Foster scored with 3:20 and 3:02 left, making the score 14-11.

Alhambra trimmed the lead to two, but late goals by Gyurko and Brad Youngren secured the win.

McIlroy said Alhambra’s tenacity forced his players to work harder. “Our guys realized they were in the playoffs,” he said.

Miraleste’s Kyle Hildebrand led all scorers with six goals.