Story by Cloe Maurer
Staff Writer
Photo by Katelyn Hernandez
Staff Photographer
Boys water polo destroyed La Cañada, 14-5, in a home game on Tuesday, Oct. 22. With only two games left in the season, the team is 15-9 overall and 6-0 in league.
The Tigers wasted no time and quickly began showering La Cañada with attacks. Junior Eddie Lane-Flannigan sped up to the goal, lifted himself above the Spartan keeper, and scored.
Sophomore Egan Hadsell-Florin followed with a lightning fast attack from the other side of the goal, throwing La Cañada’s defense off balance. Later in the quarter, senior Evan Kowal wove his way between two Spartan defenders and slammed it past the goalkeeper.
The few times La Cañada worked the ball over into South Pas territory, junior goalkeeper Liam Markus deflected their shots with ease.
Defensively, the Tigers sat back in the second quarter, waiting for Spartan attacks come to them rather than aggressively pursuing the ball.
Finally, South Pas gained possession. Junior Anthony Felix grabbed control of the ball and threw a powerful shot that sped past La Cañada defenders from the middle of the pool. Moments later, he scored a near identical shot, aiming for the upper corner of the goal and bringing the score up to 6-0.
La Cañada scored their first goal towards the end of the second quarter, barely sneaking it over junior Oscar Walsh’s head.
Unfazed, South Pas whipped the ball around with a series of well timed passes that set sophomore Owen Imasaki for an unstoppable bullet of a shot. The Spartans began to play timidly and the Tigers responded with an aggressive offensive approach.
Down 9-1, La Cañada ramped up the intensity and cleaned up its offensive attacks. South Pas kept them at bay, never letting them get close to the goal.
Over and over again, the Spartan attackers pushed themselves up to the goal, the Tigers’ swarming arms deflected the shots away.
South Pas loosened up in the beginning of the fourth quarter, carrying a 12-1 lead. The Spartans took advantage of the relaxed Tiger defense and scored two goals.
Kowal responded with a hard shot right over the keeper’s shoulder and into the net and the Tigers walked away with a 14-5 victory..
“We executed today and got win number six. We’re excited to move on and play Schurr this Friday,” Kowal said.
The Tigers will play Schurr in a non-conference match Friday, Oct. 22.
