Coyotes fall in tight Div. III title match
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Matthew Carrera fires a shot on got that went by the Cabrillo goalie to tie Saturday’s match at three. However, Cabrillo scored two goals in the fourth to win 5-4.
The Madera Coyotes boys water polo team earned its second-ever trip to the Central Section championship game and couldn’t come away with the coveted championship plaque.
The top-seeded Coyotes battled a tough No. 3 seeded Cabrilla team on Saturday in the McAlister Pool and came up just short in a 5-4 loss Tuesday in the Div. III championship match.
Matthew Carrera led the Coyotes with two goals, but the Coyotes just couldn’t find enough offense in the end.
Madera goalie Ben Prim did what he could to keep the Coyotes in the match with 17 blocks.
Madera scored the first goal of the game when Logan Carlson got the ball on the right and shot it inside the far post for the early 1-0 lead.
Despite a pair of Prim blocks, Cabrillo got on the scoreboard with a lob shot over Prim to tie the match.
Cabrillo earned a man advantage late in the first period and scored with a long shot to take a 2-1 lead with four seconds left in the first period.
Prim blocked the first three Cabrillo shots of the second period.
Finally, the Coyotes got on the scoreboard. With a man advantage, Bobby Criado’s initial shot was stopped. However, he got the rebound and put it into the back of the cage to tie the score at two.
About a minute later, Prim looked to have made a block. However, the goal official ruled the ball crossed over the line and into the net for a goal for a 3-2 lead heading into the half.
Both teams went scoreless in the third period. Madera had a chance to score when they got a penalty shot, but Criado’s shot was blocked.
Madera tied the score at three 43 seconds into the fourth period when Carrera got the ball on the left and sent a skip shot inside the near post.
However, Cabrillo came back a minute later with a long shot on the right that went inside the near post for the lead.
About 30 seconds later, Cabrillo took a two-goal lead with another long shot with 4:44 left in the period.
Madera had its chances to cut into the lead. With a man advantage, Damian Bispham had two shots on goal, but they were both deflected out.
Prim made a block on a penalty shot with two minutes left.
Madera cut the lead to one when Carrera got the ball on the left. His shot went off the far post and the ball went into the goal to cut the lead to one.
At the other end, Prim made a catch on a shot, but Madera had it shot stopped. They got the rebound with 18 seconds left.
Then, confusion happened. With seven seconds left, the official ruled a kick-out for Cabrillo, but Madera (and most of the crowd) thought they received a four-meter penalty shot because the number of the kick-out was four.
Carrera held the ball to get set up for the penalty shot, but the officials ruled a delay of game and turned the ball over to Cabrillo and they ran out the clock for the win.
