Mater Dei High School’s boys water polo team secured a decisive victory against Sage Hill School, winning 11-8 in the Division 1 quarterfinals of the CIF-SS playoffs on Thursday. The Monarchs established an early lead, scoring four goals in the first quarter and maintaining a comfortable margin throughout the match. This win marks Mater Dei’s first appearance in the section’s No. 2-ranked playoff division since 2009.
Strong Performance Leads to Semifinals
With this victory, third-seeded Mater Dei (15-13) advances to face second-seeded Harvard-Westlake (12-15) in the semifinals scheduled for Wednesday. Harvard-Westlake is also making its first appearance in this playoff division since 1991. The Monarchs are now closer to claiming their eighth section title.
Defender Noah Jurgensen was a standout performer, scoring four of his five goals in the first half, while junior Ace Chen contributed three goals in the opening period. This strong start allowed Mater Dei to lead 8-4 at halftime. “We’re bringing just as much effort as we would have brought if we were in the Open Division,” Chen stated. “Even though we’re in D1, none of us are down about it. We’re all still excited to go try to win that Division 1 championship.”
First-year head coach Erik Zimmerman echoed Chen’s sentiments, emphasizing the team’s dedication: “We just continue to grind and work hard.” The Monarchs faced the challenge of defeating Sage Hill, a team that had made history by winning its first Division 1 match earlier in the playoffs.
Key Contributions and Defensive Strategy
Mater Dei’s defense played a pivotal role in limiting Sage Hill’s scoring opportunities, particularly against left-hander Luke Weichert, who was held to just one goal. The Monarchs effectively neutralized Weichert, who had previously scored six goals in Sage Hill’s first-round victory over Yucaipa. “He fought hard. They fought hard together. Our team fought harder,” Jurgensen remarked about their strategy to contain Weichert, who is also a senior committed to UC Irvine.
Junior goalie Morgan Crichton was instrumental in the victory, making nine saves, with six occurring in the second half. Sage Hill’s offense, led by sophomores Bobby Ray and Aaden Hoang, managed five goals combined. The Lightning’s sophomore goalie, Noah Rothbard, recorded nine saves to keep the match competitive.
Reflecting on the achievement, Sage Hill coach Pavle Filipovic expressed pride in his team’s performance: “It’s huge to reach the Division 1 quarterfinals. I’m very proud of the team. We’ve been trying to build slowly.”
The semifinals will also feature a matchup between top-seeded Loyola and fourth-seeded Dos Pueblos on the same day. As the playoffs progress, the excitement continues to build around these high-stakes games, showcasing the talent and determination of young athletes.
