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Girls Basketball Wins First League Game in Four Years
For the first time in 1,442 days, the Dana Hills girls basketball team tasted victory in league play.
The Dolphins snapped a 25-game league losing streak by defeating El Toro, 46-35, in their Sea View League opener at home on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Dana Hills (9-6, 1-0) also broke a current four-game losing skid with the win.
The Dolphins were last in the Sea View League in 2018, when Dana Hills posted a perfect 8-0 league record to win its most recent league championship. Over the previous four seasons, Dana Hills had moved up to the South Coast League, and the last time the Dolphins were over .500 in league play was a win 25 league games ago over Trabuco Hills on Jan. 29, 2019. Dana Hills finished 4-4 in the South Coast League in 2019 and 0-8 in the league play over the next three seasons.
Now back in the Sea View League, the Dolphins’ prospects are back on the rise.
While Dana Hills dropped down to No. 11 in the latest CIF-SS Division 4A rankings, the Dolphins’ win over El Toro projects a strong league finish. El Toro (12-8, 0-1) was ranked No. 9 in the next division up, Division 4AA.
Dana Hills next hosted Mission Viejo (11-9, 1-0) for the early edge in the Sea View League title race on Thursday, Jan. 12. Results were not available at press time.
The Dolphins continue in league play at Capistrano Valley (0-8, 0-1) on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Sea View League teams will play each other three times through league play, and Dana Hills starts its second run through at El Toro next Thursday, Jan. 19.
Boys Basketball Drops League Opener, Loses 10th Straight to Aliso Niguel
The struggles in the Sea View League and against their neighborhood rivals continued for the Dana Hills boys basketball team on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Dana Hills lost another battle at Aliso Niguel, 71-65, to lose its Sea View League opener and its 10th straight game against the Wolverines. The Dolphins (12-6, 0-1) have not beaten Aliso Niguel since 2014, and Dana Hills has not won at the Wolverine Den since 2013.
The Dolphins’ past three losses against Aliso Niguel have come by six, seven and six points, including the exact same scoreline as Wednesday in last season’s first matchup.
Dana Hills is 1-11 over its past three Sea View League seasons, despite another strong start this year and momentum coming off the program’s first-ever CIF-SS championship game appearance last year.
The Dolphins have also now lost three games in a row, with Wednesday’s game being the first in nearly two weeks for Dana Hills.
Dana Hills will look to get back on track at home on Friday, Jan. 13, against Mission Viejo. The Dolphins don’t play again until the following Friday, Jan. 20, at El Toro. Dana Hills hosts Aliso Niguel on Jan. 23.
Girls Water Polo Opens League
South Coast League play opened with the first of two “home” games for the Dana Hills girls water polo team.
Trabuco Hills used Dana Hills as a home pool for both teams’ South Coast League opener on Thursday, Jan. 12. Results were not available at press time. Dana Hills will host Trabuco Hills back in the Dolphin pool on Jan. 26.
Dana Hills (10-5) will continue in league play on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at San Juan Hills and then host El Toro on Thursday, Jan. 19.
Dana Hills, ranked No. 5 in CIF-SS Division 2, dropped its most recent regular nonleague contest, 14-6, at JSerra on Tuesday, Jan. 10. JSerra is ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division 3.
On the scoresheet, Dana Hills has continued to be led by Loyola Marymount-bound senior Sadie Riester. Riester has 56 goals in 13 games, with 16 assists. Kate McCulloch, also a senior, leads in assists with 24 and steals with 45 and is second in goals with 38. Claire Berger, another senior, is second in assists with 22 while also recording 15 goals and 11 steals.
Girls Soccer Wins First League Opener Since 2016
League play has been a struggle for the Dana Hills girls soccer program over the past several seasons, but the Dolphins got off to a promising start.
Dana Hills defended its home turf from El Toro, 1-0, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, to win its Sea View League opener. It’s the first time the Dolphins haven’t lost their league opener since a 2018 draw with San Clemente, and it’s Dana Hills’ first win in a league opener since 2016 over Capistrano Valley.
Dana Hills has now won two straight against El Toro, and the Dolphins have wins in two of their past three games overall.
Dana Hills won only two league games last season, and they were the Dolphins’ final two of the season over El Toro and Mission Viejo.
With a win over El Toro in hand, Dana Hills hosts Mission Viejo on Tuesday, Jan. 17, and is at El Toro next Thursday, Jan. 19.
Boys Soccer Begins League Play
Dana Hills boys soccer kicked off its Sea View League schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Trabuco Hills, but results were not available at press time.
League play has been a struggle for the boys soccer program over the past few seasons, with no more than three league wins in any of the previous three seasons. The Dolphins also earned two league draws over the past two seasons, as well.
Dana Hills (1-5-2) continues Sea View League play at Tesoro on Friday, Jan. 13, and hosts El Toro on Monday, Jan. 16. Trabuco Hills comes to Dana Hills on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
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