Varsity Girls Water Polo fell 10-9 to Cupertino High School in its third league match on Tuesday, Sept. 18. MVHS got off to a slow start, with the score standing at 4-1 during the first quarter. The team was able to refocus in the second quarter, by scoring two goals and bringing the score up to 4-3. However, CHS dominated at the end of the second quarter, scoring two more goals and extending their lead to 6-3 by halftime. The third quarter was dominated by defense from both teams, with MVHS only being able to score one goal, compared to CHS’s two.
With a score of 8-4 entering the 4th quarter, the Matadors were looking to score some goals by tightening their defense to prevent CHS from scoring and get themselves back in the game. After a few early goals, the team was able to rally back and go on a 4-1 run, closing the gap on CHS which made the game a one-score game with 30 seconds left in the quarter. The Matadors were able to continue their momentum, scoring a goal with 27 seconds left in the half, tying the game at 9-9. However, their efforts were tarnished by a goal by CHS in the final three seconds, which led them to win in the closing moments of the game. However, senior Sonika Wagner still feels good about her team’s performance in the game and believes it shows a promising future for Varsity Girls Water Polo.
“I feel really good because we ended up catching up from really far back,” Wagner said. “But then during the last 10 seconds, we lost and it was my fault because I got the penalty. I feel really dull about that, but in general I’m feeling all right about the team going forward.”
Coach Himani Kukreja concurs with Wagner’s feelings about the team’s stellar performance and both believe that the team could work on their drives and communication. Looking into future practices, they both hope to work on creating plays and strategies, as well as build their chemistry in the pool.
“Our beginning was a little bit of a mess, but they did really well,” Kukreja said. “They had a lot of really smart plays, and they moved in the pool really well. Our second and fourth quarters were our best quarters because the girls were able to think plays on their own, without me having to tell them what to do. In general, there was a lot of very good critical thinking and problem solving in the pool.”
Junior Zoe Yu, a key goal scorer in the fourth quarter, was pleased with her performance as well, despite the result of the match not being how the team wanted it to turn out. She especially highlights the fact that some members of the team weren’t feeling well before the match, yet the team was still able to put up a fight against CHS.
“I’m happy with my performance because I was able to get a shot off and I didn’t get called for any fouls or get ejected,” Yu said. “I was so happy when I scored that goal because I knew it would help our team a lot in an important moment. I think we can practice driving more and getting open when someone needs to pass, but generally, we all played really well.”
