Bent Saves Best for Last

By STEVE GALLUZZO  | Sports Editor

With every save she made in the last game of her high school career, Eagle Rock goalie Jahmea Bent gave her team more belief that it would win. By the time the final buzzer sounded, she had made believers out of the Dolphins too.

Bent stopped 18 shots and rendered Palisades’ high-scoring offense ineffective as the underdog Eagles soared to their fifth City Section girls water polo title in six years with an 8-1 triumph Saturday afternoon at Valley College.

“I always go in ready, but I was even more motivated to win this time because it’s my last year,” said Bent, who showed why she’s being recruited by UCLA. “We’re going to do our best no matter where we’re ranked. Our fans support us and we have the skill and communication you need to be a champion.”

Seeded No. 1 for the first time in their six playoff appearances, the Dolphins thought this would finally be their turn. Instead, they suffered their fourth finals defeat. All of them have been to Eagle Rock, which improved to 92-1 against City schools since its dynasty began in 2011. The Eagles’ only loss to a section opponent the last six seasons was to Birmingham in last year’s championship game–a setback Eagle Rock avenged with a 5-3 semifinal victory last Thursday in Lake Balboa.    

Palisades racked up 53 goals in its first three playoff rounds and got off to a promising start Saturday when co-captain Jackie Au’s five-meter shot skipped past Bent to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead only 75 seconds into the contest. From then on, it was all Eagles.

“We had a great season and I wish we could’ve finished it off with a win, but I’m excited to play at Whittier next year,” Au said. “The coach was here and hopefully saw me score.”

Alena Sanchez tallied Eagle Rock’s first five goals, the second after a nifty spin move that put the third-seeded Eagles (16-2) ahead to stay with 3:15 left in the first quarter. She converted a five-meter try to make it 3-1 by the end of the first quarter and scored twice more before halftime. It marked the first time the Dolphins were behind at intermission since Jan. 21 when they beat Camarillo 7-6 at the Oxnard Tournament.

“Their goalie is really talented,” Au said. “I’ve played her in club. You’re not going to beat her from outside eight meters. She’s too good.”

Co-captain Yasmin Ansari nearly scored on a breakaway in the first 20 seconds, but Bent reached out to deflect the ball wide of the left post. Au grazed the crossbar on a floater in the third quarter, 30 seconds after Marissa Whitby stuffed in a rebound for the Eagles to make it 6-1.

Any hope of a Palisades comeback ended on Eagle Rock’s first possession of the fourth quarter when Sanchez whirled and fired to the right corner. Chloe Berrisford made four saves for the Dolphins (18-7), who tested Bent from every possible angle.   

In four playoff games, the Eagles’ swarming defense allowed a total of eight goals. Palisades was held scoreless in the final 26:45 of action.

“Their strategy is to force teams to shoot from the outside and rely on their goalie,” said Kirk Lazaruk, Palisades’ fourth head coach in the last four seasons. “When Jackie got into foul trouble that changed the dynamic of what we could do. Goalies don’t win games, they save them and that’s what she did. Still, right up until I put the subs in with a minute to go our girls still believed. Look at how far we’ve come since our first game against Malibu. We can hold our heads high.”

Palisades was pushed early in the semifinals versus fourth-seeded Granada Hills before pulling away in the second half for a 15-10 win. Au led the way with five goals, Clara Saab and Leighanne Estabrook had four goals apiece and Lilly Ramos added two.

“Palisades has a great coach and also great sportsmanship,” Granada Hills Coach Gor Asryan said. “They’ll be tough in the finals.”

Au praised Lazaruk and predicted the Dolphins will be back: “This was not our year to win, but it will be next year. I’m so grateful for Kirk and [assistant] Jazzmyne Urquiza. They’re the best coaches we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Although the senior leadership of Ansari, Saab, Ramos, Au, Elli Blake Jennifer Garcia, Katie Margiotta and goalie Rachel Dean will be missed, Palisades fielded a junior varsity team for the first time.   

“I had three objectives when I took over,” said Lazaruk, also an assistant for the Pali High boys squad, which won its fifth straight City title in the fall. “To create a passion for water polo, to raise the girls’ water polo I.Q and to create a sense of sisterhood. That’s become the cornerstone of our team. Families are 100 percent part of this program and hopefully the fellowship the girls experienced will have an impact.”