The boys water polo team defeated the Burlingame Panthers 14-6 after a dominant second half on Wednesday evening.
M-A opened the game with offensive intensity, and a deep pass to sophomore Chase Wescott put the Bears on the board, 1-0. After trading fruitless possessions, a costly M-A foul led to a penalty throw. Burlingame capitalized on this, tying the game at 1-1 with 4:50 left in the period.
The Bears quickly reclaimed possession, and senior Spencer Harding scored on a fast break with 2:06 remaining in the period. The Panthers responded at the end of the quarter, with a quick breakaway to tie the game, 2-2.
M-A continued their plethora of strategic passes in the second quarter as Harding scored with 6:07 left. Quickly after, senior Navid Riahi followed with a powerful goal, extending the Bears’ lead to 4-2.
Harding struck again a minute later, throwing in his third goal and putting M-A further ahead, 5-2. Burlingame quickly came back with a goal of their own, but senior Kanoa Lee’s shot found the back of the net at 3:38 to reinforce the Bears’ advantage.
“[The team was] countering, beating their defenders on offense, and getting in position so they could just be a one-on-nobody and the goalie and score,” senior Michael Poirier said.
Despite M-A’s offensive pressure, Burlingame continued to make defensive stops and capitalize on their opportunities. The Panthers scored twice, but Lee found the back of the cage again, sending the Bears into halftime with a 7-5 lead.
The Bears brought a powerful intensity to start the third period. M-A’s defense tightened around the cage, forcing Burlingame into weak shots. The Panthers continued to attack, but impressive saves from Poirier allowed the Bears to make plays of their own. Harding added his fourth goal with 3:55 remaining in the third period, making M-A’s lead 8-5.
Burlingame struggled to answer, and senior Zane Nahas scored with 25 seconds remaining, giving the Bears a 9-5 advantage heading into the last quarter.
“The start was pretty slow, but we cleaned up at the end,” sophomore Julian Pang said.
M-A carried its explosive momentum into the final period. Poirier anchored the defense, blocking Burlingame’s chances and allowing the Bears to transition quickly back into attack. Riahi converted a penalty shot with 6:24 remaining, which widened M-A’s lead to 10-5. Just 46 seconds later, Riahi struck again on a fast break, extending the Bears’ lead to 11-5.
The Bears persisted in finding openings as Burlingame’s defense struggled to match M-A’s quick movement. Nahas scored with 4:41 remaining to bring the total to 12-5, and junior Max Weiss added another goal soon after. With 1:22 remaining, sophomore Johnny Andeen scored, delivering M-A a commanding 14-5 lead.
Burlingame scored with 31 seconds left, but the Bears’ ironclad defense remained effective, and Poirier held firm through the final possessions, allowing M-A to control the clock and secure the 14-6 victory.
“I think the game went really well. I think we kind of got to show how strong our defense is. I mean, we really shut them down,” Riahi said. “[We’re] looking forward to smashing Woodside on Monday, and we get our payback against Sequoia Wednesday.”
The Bears will battle the Woodside Wildcats at home at 5 p.m.
