The boys water polo team was defeated by the Woodside Wildcats 13-10 in a tightly contested match on Monday evening.
M-A started the game on the right foot, with a drive from senior Grant Wescott after winning the sprint. The game evolved into a back-and-forth affair with constant shifts in possession. Woodside opened the scoring with a cross from the right side to bury it with 2:10 left on the clock, 1-0. After a few minutes, the Wildcats scored again off an over-the-top pass to further Woodside’s advantage to 2-0.
The Bears attempted to get back in the game with drives toward the goal from sophomore Chase Wescott and shots that hit the crossbar. However, the Wildcats held off the Bears to end the first quarter up 2-0.
The Bears came out hot in the second quarter. C. Wescott got an early steal, leading sophomore Johnny Andeen to fire a shot into the goal and cut M-A’s deficit to 2-1. Despite key blocks by senior Maro Eaton, the Wildcats converted on two goals off turnovers in quick succession to put them 4-1 up with 5:10 left in the quarter.
“We only have a couple players that are really confident in their shots, and confidence is a big thing in terms of whether or not you score because you have the ball,” junior Matthew Zadeh said.
Throughout the second quarter, the Bears and the Wildcats traded blows. A pass through the middle by Andeen found senior Navid Riahi, who finished to narrow the gap to 4-2 with 3:20 left in the quarter.
Despite Riahi tipping away dangerous balls, a penalty on M-A led to a Woodside goal, extending their lead to 5-2. However, that was quickly canceled out by C. Wescott, who fired a shot to tighten the game to 5-3.
Despite aggressive defense by senior Zane Nahas, the Wildcats were able to score a pair of goals, widening their advantage to 7-3. Senior Kanoa Lee’s laser to senior Ryan Junkin-Pisani allowed him to fire the ball to the far post, making the game 7-4 with 1:22 left in the quarter. A block from Riahi and a key last stand at the goal line by Harding suffocated the Wildcats’ offense, ending the half 7-4 in favor of Woodside.
Woodside opened the half with aggression, immediately firing shots at M-A. After a missed attempt by the Bears, the Wildcats converted off a diagonal pass to the left side to extend their lead to 8-4 with 4:00 left on the clock.
However, the Bears persevered, as Harding launched a shot from the right side into the top left corner to claw it back to a three-goal game. M-A kept this momentum up with a switch of play to the left side, leading to a back-post finish from Wescott to close the gap to 8-6 with 2:30 on the clock.
“The energy going into the third quarter was actually really good. It was pretty hopeful,” Lee said.
M-A immediately collected the ball after the sprint with an interception from Harding and tested the Wildcats with a shot from the right side, which was saved. Woodside responded immediately with a goal to increase their advantage to 9-6 for Woodside.
The Bears continued to search for another opening with crosses from Harding, keeping the Wildcats’ goalkeeper busy. However, after an attempted looping pass toward Lee, the Wildcats delivered a blow to create a 10-6 advantage to end the quarter.
The Bears started the fourth quarter determined to make a comeback. Early on, Riahi struck a dominating finish to tighten the lead to 10-7. G. Wescott’s tight defense and a low-block save by senior goalkeeper Michael Poirier kept Woodside temporarily at bay. However, the Wildcats capitalized on the Bears’ turnovers, widening their lead to 12-7 with 4:22 left in the quarter.
M-A didn’t give up. G. Wescott drove the ball and found Lee, who shot a beautiful goal from afar. Crucial defensive plays by G. Wescott and C. Wescott, and Poirier’s imposing presence in the net, ensured Woodside couldn’t advance. Then, Andeen threaded the ball to Harding, who fired a shot over the goalkeeper’s head to cut M-A’s deficit to 12-9 with 3:19 left in the fourth quarter.
Despite tight defense by Riahi, Woodside mustered a powerful goal into the top corner to extend their lead to 13-9. Saves by Poirier kept M-A in the game but offensive struggles curbed the last bit of hope of winning. Even with Lee creating promising positions, suffocating pressure from the Wildcats prevented any shot attempts. Eventually, Lee buried a late penalty to bring the game to 13-10. Despite the Bears’ intensity, Woodside managed to hold on, and the game ended 13-10 in favor of the Wildcats.
“We’re going to play them in the last game of the season, so we’re going to try our hardest to get back,” Andeen said.
The Bears will host the Sequoia Ravens on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
