Matadors win 9-6 against the Firebirds

On Thursday, Sept. 24, varsity girls water polo defeated the Fremont Firebirds 9-6. Both the teams were undefeated in the league this year and are bitter rivals. The Matadors’ past matches often included the Firebirds reverting to underhand tactics such as biting and scratching.

"We have bad blood with [the Firebirds]," junior Nikki Danese said.

Huddling before the game, the Matadors’ coaches reviewed their strategy and gave advice to the team.

"Doesn’t matter what they say about you or your mom, but don’t let [the Firebirds] get to you," assistant coach Kevin Paulsen said.

The Matadors began the game with a strong offense, scoring a goal two minutes into the first quarter. However, halfway through the first quarter, the Matadors missed numerous opportunities to score. The Firebirds began a wave of offense, but their attempts to score were blocked by goalie senior Alyssa Walker. With one minute left, freshman Stacey Vrauchi scored the second goal with an assist made by junior Sonika Singh. The first quarter ended 2-0 with the Matadors in the lead.

By the end of the second quarter, the Matadors were barely in the lead 4-3. The Matadors scored a goal three minutes into the quarter, and senior Alexis Weckel scored another at two minutes left. However, the Firebirds managed to make three goals in the one remaining minute.
 
The third quarter began with the Firebirds in possession of the ball. The Matadors continued to defend against the Firebirds’ offense, but the opponent scored twice in six minutes. With nine seconds left, the Firebirds tried to score again, but were blocked by Walker. The Matadors gained possession of the ball and with less than one second left, Danese shot the ball at the goal, which landed neatly inside the cage right when the buzzer sounded.

The Matadors continued their offensive strategy during the last quarter. The Matadors scored a goal halfway into the quarter, bumping their score up to 9-5. The Firebirds fought to gain offense, but their passes were intercepted by the Matadors. At 2:27, Firebirds made a free throw, and the score stayed 9-6 until the end.

After the game, the Matadors rejoiced over their undefeated record and began focusing on improving their next game.

"We should have won by so much more," junior Lena Jenny said. "There were so many shots we could have made."