When Andrew Lighterink answered an emergency call to play goalkeeper three years ago, little did he know he would begin his senior year at Torrey Pines High as one of the nation's top youth water polo players at his position.

Entering ninth grade, Lighterink envisioned scoring goals, not stopping them. His course changed when the junior varsity goalie moved away right before the season, prompting Falcons coaches to search the freshman ranks for someone who could adapt to the job.

“It's been great (playing in goal),” said Lighterink, who has traveled abroad as part of the U.S. junior national program the past two years. “If I had stuck in the field, I probably would not have gone to the places that I've been. I wasn't too interested in playing goalie when I first started, but it's grown on me a lot.”

High school water polo What: Poway Invitational, the top early-season tournament of the boys water polo season. Who: 32 teams, all but three from the San Diego Section. Where: Poway, Westview, Grossmont and Granite Hills high schools. When: Today through Saturday. Championship: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Poway. Top teams: Defending champion Granite Hills returns after reaching the section Division I final last year. Host Poway seeks to play in the tournament title game for the third straight year.

Lighterink will help lead Torrey Pines, which reached the section Division I quarterfinals last year, in this week's Poway Tournament.

As a 6-foot freshman, Lighterink had the lean look and long reach of a goalie. Adding three inches in height, he has grown into the role as a senior with the help of year-round training.

“The first thing behind his improvement is a lot of work,” Falcons coach Rob Tilburg said. “He just has the right type of work ethic. When it's time for work, he gets to work. That becomes contagious to the other players on the team.”

In his second season in goal, Lighterink was the only sophomore on a Torrey Pines varsity squad that reached the Division I final in 2006. Though his playing time was limited, Lighterink was tested in practice by some strong performers, including current University of California Berkeley player Cory Nasoff.

Following that season, Lighterink qualified for the U.S. national cadet team that competed in international tournaments in Montenegro and Dominican Republic.

“I learned a lot then about the game and how it should be played, just the flow of it,” said Lighterink, who advanced to the national junior training squad this year. “It was really an eye-opening experience for me.”

Last summer, Lighterink helped the San Diego Shores club team win a silver medal at the Junior Olympics in the age-18 division that included high school and incoming college players.

Lighterink has developed into a top college prospect. Among his possible choices are Cal and Pepperdine.

First, Lighterink is looking to spearhead an experienced Torrey Pines team that has five returning starters from last year. The Falcons expect to have a balanced attack anchored by senior Jeff Koller and junior Tanner Miller, both second-year varsity members.

“I'll try to work my hardest and improve,” Lighterink said. “That's the only way the whole team can get better, if we work hard. We're not a bunch of all-stars, who can walk into a game, throw stuff together and win. We have to play as a unit and work hard together.”

That's exactly how Lighterink reached his position of leadership.