The boys water polo team was defeated by the Los Gatos Wildcats 15-6 in a hard-fought game on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears started the game with a closely contested sprint, but the Wildcats won possession and set up on offense. Senior Grant Wescott showcased suffocating defense in the hole, intercepting the Wildcats’ shot.
With M-A on offense, G. Wescott directed his momentum into a shot fired at the goal. However, the attempt was blocked, and the Wildcats picked up their pace on the return, scoring 1-0.
Los Gatos narrowly snuck a shot past the Bears soon after, bringing the score to 2-0.
On the return, senior Navid Riahi blasted an over-the-shoulder shot despite heavy defense from the Wildcats, sending the ball past the goalkeeper to put M-A on the board, 2-1.
The Bears then met the Wildcats with aggressive defense. Regardless, the Wildcats earned a five-meter shot and converted to make the score 3-1.
The Bears’ possession was short-lived, ending with a steal by the Wildcats that led to a goal, 4-1. Riahi facilitated the defense with intense pressure, but the Wildcats scored off a penalty shot, bringing the score to 5-1 with 2:50 remaining. The Wildcats scored again just a minute later to make it 6-1.
Senior Spencer Harding took advantage of a penalty by the Wildcats, firing a skip shot into the lower corner to set the score at 6-2. Even so, Los Gatos responded quickly with a goal of their own, ending the first quarter 7-2.
The Bears entered the second quarter eager to chip away at the deficit and quickly gained possession at the sprint. G. Wescott wasted no time, nailing a shot into the left-side netting to bring the score to 7-3.
M-A continued to display intensity early in the period, with sophomore Johnny Andeen unleashing a booming shot on goal. Nonetheless, Los Gatos responded with heavy offensive pressure of their own.
Even with such offensive aggression from the Wildcats, senior goalkeeper Michael Poirier kept the Bears within striking distance, making an impressive save in the top right corner of the cage with four minutes left in the quarter.
“I’m gonna shout out Michael Poirier because he’s a dog. He gave full effort every game, every day, and he showed up,” senior Maro Eaton said.
Despite the defensive effort, the Wildcats capitalized on an opening, slipping a shot into the bottom left corner to extend their lead to 8-3.
Physical play escalated as Los Gatos racked up multiple fouls. G. Wescott attempted to answer with another explosive strike, but the ball landed just short of the goal. The Wildcats quickly made a counterattack, furthering their advantage to 9-3 with 2:40 on the clock.
Refusing to let the game slip away, Poirier locked down the net, recording another crucial save. Moments later, Riahi drew a foul in front of the Wildcats’ cage, prompting M-A to call a timeout to draw up a play.
Coming out of the break, M-A created promising scoring opportunities with a shot off the crossbar by Harding and a follow-up attempt from Riahi, but they were unable to convert.
With one minute left on the clock, the Wildcats launched a rapid counterattack and slipped a shot in the bottom left corner to make it 10-3.
“I don’t think it was too different from a normal game, but there was a lot at stake, and [there was] a lot more that had to be proved today,” Eaton said.
The Wildcats won the sprint to begin the third quarter, but Eaton set the tone early with relentless pressure.
“We were asleep in the first quarter, but we woke up as a team and all together we did good,” sophomore Theo Saenz said.
M-A’s defense remained resilient, backed by Poirier, who pulled off another stunning save to deny a Los Gatos attack.
The Bears’ offensive stamina paid off when Riahi executed a sharp turn and buried a powerful shot down the middle of the cage, making the score 10-4 with 4:30 left.
Looking to build momentum, Poirier launched a long pass to sophomore Chase Wescott for a one-on-one opportunity, but the goalkeeper managed to shut down the attempt.
With under two minutes remaining, Riahi drew another foul in Wildcat territory. Taking the free shot, Harding banked a high-velocity ball into the top left corner, but the goal was taken back due to a line violation. Los Gatos then scored to extend their lead to 11-4.
Senior Kanoa Lee looked to end the quarter on a high note, launching a shot that drifted just left of the net. G. Wescott controlled possession and connected crisp passes for the Bears, but the Wildcats managed to block multiple attempts.
The Bears kicked off the fourth quarter with heavy defensive pressure. At 6:22, the Bears earned a five-meter. Hardings was nominated by the team to take the shot, which was intercepted by the Wildcat’s goalkeeper.
The Wildcats continued to meet the Bears with hostility when Riahi was locked up in set with two Wildcat players on his back. One of the players’ aggressive tactics earned him a kickout, giving the Bears a one-up advantage.
The Bears were given a man-up, which they met with focus and awareness. Lee fired a shot into the goal, making the score 11-5. The Wildcats responded quickly, pushing the count to 12-5 with 5:09 remaining.
The Bears made a final push, with Harding slicing down the pool and firing a shot into the Wildcats’ goal with 24 seconds on the clock. Even so, the game ended with a final score of 15-6 in favor of the Wildcats.
“It’s always going to be a fun sport and fun team to hang out with, so you can’t really end [the season] badly,” senior Ryan Junkin-Pisani said.
“One of my favorite memories is just getting hyped with the boys before the game,” Eaton said.
This concludes the season for the Bears.
