Prep Water Polo: Live Oak falls in double OT thriller to Silver Creek

Live Oak managed a huge comeback against Silver Creek in regulation, but couldn’t close out the Raiders, falling 13-12 in double overtime.
“I think we played a great second half here,” said coach Mack Haines. “We were not strong in the first half. And so what we need to do is take our successes — and it sounds like a cliché — and we have to remember what we did in the comeback and that needs to happen when we start the game.”
The Acorns went down by five goals in the third quarter before staging a surge in the fourth to take an 11-10 lead with 20 seconds left in the game.
While Live Oak had 10 goals from two players, Haines gave the kudos to Allegra Aguirre who helped set up much of the goal scoring.
“The ignition of that (comeback) was started by Allegra’s getting the ball down to the deep wing and then getting it in,” Haines said. “An assister getting the ball to the right place sometimes goes unnoticed, but for me, that was the start of the comeback.”
But the defense couldn’t hang on, as Silver Creek tied the game with 3 seconds in regulation.
However, it was the defense that gave Live Oak a chance at a win in the first place.
The Acorns played tough down the stretch, forcing turnovers and allowing fast break opportunities be converted into points.
“In the second half, we started taking that final step on defense,” Haines said. “Now we have something to build on.
Jessica Lawrence had seven goals in the effort, including three in the comeback surge in the fourth quarter.
“I think she’s a really strong offensive player and she made that clutch shot right over the goalie’s head that really ignited people,” Haines said.
Lawrence also gave Live Oak the lead in the first OT period. She got the ball inside two meters and with a girl draped over her, managed to get a shot past the net minder for a 12-11 lead.
That’s where the game stood until the last 30 seconds when Silver Creek took advantage of a man advantage to push across an equalizer to send the game into a second overtime.
Silver Creek got a power play again in the second overtime and took advantage with a game-clinching goal.
Live Oak had opportunities still and surged ahead with two shots that hit the post and bounced away.
The biggest opportunity came with less than 30 seconds to play. Live Oak got the ball off a turnover and Haines called timeout.
Coming out of the break, the Acorns surged to the Silver Creek goal where the Raiders had a player sent off but didn’t leave the pool.
The blunder gave the Acorns a penalty shot from five meters.
Lawrence took the free shot, but it was blocked and Silver Creek ran out the clock.
After the game, Silver Creek’s coach had a feeling of luck that came with the final sequence.
“Their best shooter hadn’t taken a shot from the middle the entire game,” said coach Mike Abrigo.
The Raiders mobbed their goalie after the game who preserved the win.
Live Oak led 3-2 after the first quarter, but fell behind quickly in the second, as the Raiders pushed across four goals for a 6-3 advantage.
That lead increased as Silver Creek scored four more times in the third to take a 10-6 lead at the break.
Live Oak’s five unanswered goals nearly ended the game in regulation until a last-ditch effort sent the game into extra frames.
The Acorns had 24 shots on goal in regulation, converting 11 of them. The Raiders had just 17 shots on goal, pushing all but six across.
Live Oak moves on to play Independence 4 p.m. Oct. 1 in San Jose.