The562’s coverage of aquatic sports in Long Beach in 2026-27 is sponsored by Watersafe Swim School.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
After several seasons away from the CIF Southern Section playoffs, the Lakewood boys’ water polo team made its return in dominant fashion, defeating El Rancho 11-4 in its Division 5 playoff opener to advance to the second round.
The victory marked Lakewood’s first CIF playoff appearance since 2021, giving the Lancers an opportunity to build on the progress of the program under first-year head coach Kamryn Hastings.
“I think we did a really good job on working the ball and communicating today. We kept up our defensive pressure and kept pushing through on our counterattack the entire game,” Hastings said.
The Lancers were led by a standout eight-goal performance from senior Justin Muñoz, who spearheaded Lakewood’s offensive attack and accounted for eight of the team’s 11 goals.
“I knew that for today we had to focus on communication and really just playing like a team, focusing on what we work on in practice. This is such an amazing opportunity for us and we really want to make the most of it,” Muñoz said.
Lakewood’s return to the postseason came after the Lancers secured the third playoff in league following Wilson’s withdrawal from the playoffs.
The Lancers entered the matchup with a considerably smaller roster, carrying just nine players compared to El Rancho’s 20. Hastings, who is in her first season as Lakewood’s head coach, has emphasized building team chemistry after the graduation of a large senior class last season.
“Last year we graduated a very strong senior class, so this season when I inherited the team, we only had nine boys, so we’ve had to work really hard to build our team chemistry,” Hastings explained.
Lakewood established control early, with senior Michael Snow finding the back of the net in the first minute and a half to give the Lancers a 1-0 advantage. The opening quarter remained relatively quiet offensively, but Lakewood’s defensive pressure helped preserve its early lead heading into the second.
Penalties became a defining part of the matchup, with both teams looking to capitalize on opportunities from the penalty line.
“Something we’ve wanted to work on this season is drawing penalties, and I feel like today we really showed up and were able to convert on those,” Hastings added.
El Rancho found its footing in the second quarter, with Fernando Antono converting a penalty shot to even the score at 1-1 before scoring again to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
However, the Lancers quickly responded. Muñoz found the back of the net to tie the game before earning and converting a penalty shot to put Lakewood back in front. He added another goal shortly afterward, helping the Lancers take control with a 4-2 advantage.
Lakewood’s defense continued to frustrate El Rancho, forcing three shot-clock violations in the second quarter. Another penalty opportunity allowed Muñoz to score his fourth goal of the period, sending the Lancers into halftime with a 5-2 lead.
Freshman goalkeeper Colin Keogh was equally important to Lakewood’s first-half performance, recording nine saves in the opening two quarters and finishing with 14 for the game.
“Colin played great, he really saved us on defense. We’ve struggled this year defensively, but the past two weeks we’ve just been focused on making sure we flow as a team and play hard through every possession,” Hastings noted.
The Lancers carried their momentum into the third quarter, continuing to capitalize on their offensive opportunities while maintaining pressure defensively.
A steal from Aiden Wendt allowed Muñoz to draw another penalty, which he converted to extend Lakewood’s lead to 6-2. Muñoz continued his scoring run shortly afterward, getting on the receiving end of a long pass across the pool before beating the goalkeeper one-on-one to make it 7-2.
Just 30 seconds later, Muñoz found the back of the net again, bringing his total to seven goals and extending the Lancers’ advantage to 8-2.
“We’ve gotten to know each other so much better throughout the season in knowing what each of our strengths are” said Muñoz
Snow added another goal off an assist from Wendt, helping Lakewood close out the third quarter with a commanding 9-2 lead.
Muñoz’s eight-goal performance stood out as the driving force behind Lakewood’s offensive success. Hastings praised the senior’s composure and ability to deliver, especially today in such a high-stakes matchup.
“Justin is one of the players I expect the most of and he really is such an amazing player. He really went above and beyond my expectations today though with his effort and how calm he was,” Hastings said.
El Rancho attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, with Jared Gonzales scoring two goals back-to-back, but Lakewood maintained its advantage and closed out the game with an 11-4 victory.
“I am so proud of them, I think today they all worked as a whole pool with all 7 of them every possession” said Hastings.
Despite the convincing win, Muñoz emphasized that the Lancers understand the challenges that lie ahead as they continue their postseason run.
“We’re just going to keep our heads up and expect that every game ahead is going to be tough and we need to keep working hard,” Muñoz said.
With the victory, Lakewood advances to the next round of the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs, and will host Montclair on Tuesday.
