Varsity boys water polo defeated the Etiwanda High School Eagles 16-12 at an away game Tuesday, Sept. 9 despite losing to the team at a Long Beach tournament on Aug. 29-30.
The Eagles scored first, with their offense pushing a two-goal lead against the Mustangs early in the game. Three minutes into the quarter, captain senior Anthony Santos scored the first goal, followed by captain seniors Braden Cobb and Nathan Wang. The quarter ended with a tight score of 4-3.
“We thought we were going to lose so we were very aggressive in the opening quarter and pushed our way through,” Cobb said. “Last time we expected them to come out strong and we expected them to win, so we had that fixed mindset this time and allowed ourselves to grow and fight back.”
The second quarter started with set guard senior Josh Rovira scoring the first goal, keeping Mustang morale strong early in the quarter. The team kept their defense and offensive strategies consistent against the Eagles, the second quarter ending with a score of 8-6 and the third quarter with a score of 13-6.
“Our team was super good defensively and offensively. We were getting into their heads because of how much we were scoring, and they took themselves out of the game mentally,” Rovira said. “We use these games to see what we need to improve on so we can practice and get ready for league to make sure we don’t lose.”
Non-starting players subbed in the fourth quarter and secured the Mustang’s win, ending the quarter 16-12. The Mustangs arrived late at the game because of traffic, resulting in less warm up time for the team. The team reflected that they should have left earlier but did not let that interfere with their performance.
“I think these games have helped us see where everyone’s at. It’s good that we play a lot of games so that we’re used to playing with each other in our different types of styles to get ready for league,” Santos said. “Everyone did well in this game. I think we were really on the same page, and it helped us understand their plays more. I’m excited for the future.”
