By Isabella Tsai & Rachel Lu
Tiger Staff
Photos by Hana Tyszka
Senior Staff Photographer
The girls’ water polo team suffered its first season loss on Tuesday, January 17 to the Temple City Rams. The Tigers were defeated by a score of 19-7, making their season record 2-1 and overall record 8-2.
The Rams struck early in the game, catching South Pas off guard. Junior Irene Lee quickly responded with a goal that tied the game 1-1. The Tigers struggled to take advantage of offensive opportunities, missing several shots throughout the quarter. Temple City’s strong offense broke through South Pas’ defense and scored three more times. Senior goalie Skyler Ramirez was able to keep the Rams from pulling away with the lead, blocking several of Temple City’s fast break attempts.
Temple City continued strong into the second quarter by possessing the ball and scoring the team’s fifth goal. However, the Tigers quickly reclaimed the ball as sophomore Jael Osborne shot a successful second goal before the Rams’ offense took control. After a failed goal attempt by the opposing team, South Pas and Temple City consistently struggled for the ball as each side’s goalie displayed their defensive power. The Tigers were finally able to disperse the Rams’ defense with a smooth pass between sophomores Alison Lao and Sydney Shettleroe for the Tigers’ third goal. In the remaining two minutes, the Rams managed to score 3 goals for an ending lead of 10-3.
The Tigers trailed Temple City going into the second half and were unable to gain traction in the remainder of the game. After two Ram goals, South Pas called a timeout to regroup. Soon after, junior Hayden Carlson scored the team’s fourth goal. Ramirez continued to fend off aggressive Ram attacks, though a Tiger exclusion foul led to yet another Ram point. Shettleroe and Carlson both had looks at the goal, however they were unable to add to South Pas’ score.
South Pas went into the final quarter behind the Rams with a score of 14-6. The Tigers lost control of the ball when the Temple City team scored its fifteenth and sixteenth points early in the fourth quarter. South Pas had several scoring opportunities that proved unsuccessful as the Rams showcased their defensive dominance leading to another time-out. When the game resumed, Lee emerged with a seventh goal straight past Temple City’s goalie. However, the Rams placed a strong offense in the game’s final minutes with a result of 19-7.
The Tigers continue their season on Thursday, January 19 at La Cañada High School where they will face off against the Spartans. Last year both of the matchups against La Cañada resulted in a loss for South Pas.
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