The boys water polo team battered the Burlingame Panthers, beating them 16-7 on Wednesday evening, making their overall record 11-7.
After winning the sprint, the Bears took an early lead thanks to senior attacker Evan ten Vaanholt scoring a goal in the first 13 seconds of the game. Even so, the Panthers weren’t far behind and scored a goal of their own a minute later.
Unfazed, senior attacker Bryce Winters nailed a shot with 3:46 to go in the quarter, giving M-A control of the game. Junior goalkeeper Michael Poirier energized the crowd with numerous heroic saves to keep the Bears’ lead at 2-1.
Senior driver Jack Bullard continued the Bears’ dominant defense by forcing multiple turnovers. On offense, Winters was on fire, scoring again with a speedy shot to the corner to make the tally 3-1, building up the team’s energy and momentum.
The Panthers tried to fight back with a goal of their own to make it 3-2, but M-A established their dominance with a point by Grant Wescott and a long-distance shot that ten Vaanholt rifled into the cage. This concluded the first quarter with M-A maintaining a decisive 5-2 lead.
The second quarter started off with intense defense from the Bears that forced the Panthers into numerous turnovers. Success on the defensive end of the pool translated into three more goals in quick succession, putting the Bears in a comfortable 7-2 lead.
M-A kept up its intensity with saves from the unrelenting Poirier, as well as an interception by junior attacker Spencer Harding. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to penetrate the Bears’ defense, a Burlingame timeout demonstrated their frustration as team members began yelling at each other.
The Panthers’ lack of communication allowed for a goal from Harding that rattled the top corner of the cage. Burlingame got a goal back with 34 seconds left in the quarter, but ten Vaanholt ended it on a high note for the Bears with a spectacular backhand shot that found its way in, 9-3.
Burlingame won the sprint to begin the third quarter and managed a goal that brought the tally to 9-4. The Bears quickly recovered, with a sharp pass from junior Navid Riahi to Harding, who scored another point.
M-A continued to remain dominant with clean passes that resulted in a tidy finish from ten Vaanholt to increase the Bears’ lead to 11-4. The Panthers fired back with a goal of their own, leaving 3:13 remaining in the quarter.
The Bears regained control when Poirier delivered two tremendous saves—first, blocking a point-blank shot, then diving to stop a long-range attempt to stifle the Panthers’ attempt to attack. Harding scored another goal to end the third quarter, giving the Bears a 13-5 advantage.
The Bears started the fourth quarter off strong, winning the initial sprint. A shot from Riahi a minute in set the tone for the rest of the match. The Panthers fought back with a goal, but M-A responded quickly with a point from ten Vaanholt, giving the Bears a 15-6 lead.
Burlingame didn’t let up, breaking through to score with two minutes remaining. Lee fired a shot but was denied by the Burlingame keeper. M-A regrouped after a foul, and Harding rose above his defender to smash a final point into the cage to end the game 16-7 in a commanding Bears victory.
“We were pressing them really hard, and we never let them get any wide open shots,” junior utility player and goalkeeper Joseph Tompkins said. “Often in previous games, we’ve gotten a lead and then we’ve thrown it out because we got cocky. So we need to work on keeping that lead, even though we might be winning.”
“We were coming off a pretty tough loss, and we just knew we had to lock in, so we were all dialed,” Bullard said.
The Bears will travel to face Woodside Priory on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
