Varsity Girls Water Polo Treads Into the end of Season

ERIC HUANG

Sports Editor

Kenny Lam

Staff Writer

It was not always the best time in the pool, but the Lady Moors have fought through a tough season which is now coming to a close. On Jan. 25, the varsity girls water polo team played their second to last league meet of the season in their home pool against the Montebello High School Oilers. Having lost their previous two league games, the outcome of this game would decide whether or not they would be attending CIF playoffs. As the team drew closer to this crucial game, as well as the end of their season, they began preparing for what would be a battle to come.

The intensity of the game was prevalent in the opening quarter, mixed with a bit of uncertainty due to the presence of new referees. The Oilers scored their first shot early in the first quarter, but the Moors were not looking back. Through intense back and forth battles, Leslie Gutierrez of the Moors managed to score, bringing the game to a tie. As the first quarter wound down, the Oilers managed to score and ended the quarter up 2-1. The game started out close but in the second quarter, a mix of controversial calls came from the new referees working the game. Frustration built as a number of ejections were called.

“There were new [referees] and they seemed kind of biased,” senior wing Andrea Verdugo said, “We have never received so many ejections in a game before.”

The Oilers began the second quarter with a made shot, but the defense from both sides quickly picked up. The remainder of the second quarter saw a numerous amount of sprints up and down the pool, but none of the players had managed to score a goal. The first half ended with the Oilers ahead by a two point margin.

In the second half, the Moors played hard in an attempt to come back from the deficit, but their efforts were not enough. After watching Verdugo ejected from the game, the Moors saw that the game could not be won. After a late fourth quarter rally from the Moors, the Oilers ultimately won the game, 8-5. This meant that the team officially dropped out of contention for a spot in CIF playoffs. Through the loss, the team found some positives to build off of, such as the players’ continued perseverance and positivity.

“Our strengths are being able to support each other and always push through difficult moments,” senior Fiona Han said.

Although CIF is now out of the picture, the Moors have continued to battle through their season with tremendous effort. The team played their last game on Feb. 6 against Milken Community.