The boys water polo team beat Loyola High School 12-7 in their final regular season game of the season and were crowned Mission League Champions.
Previous Matchups
The squad previously faced Loyola High School two times this season, defeating the Cubs on Oct. 5 by a score of 9-8 and losing to the Cubs on Oct. 19 by a score of 8-7. Heading into the game, players had little nerves and were focused.
“We feel like we are prepared as we could possibly be,” goalkeeper Jake Engelberg ’21 said. “We are definitely not overconfident or cocky, but we feel like if we stick to our game plan we’ll be able to get it done.”
The Game
The Wolverines had a strong first quarter, outscoring their Mission League rival 3-1. The team maintained that lead and finished the first half up 6-4. Mission League Water Polo: @HwPolo leads @LoyolaWP 6-4 at half. The game is live on HWTV at: https://t.co/7G36l39eR8… pic.twitter.com/TRBwOhNjtz Mission League Water Polo Final: @HwPolo defeats @LoyolaWP 12-7 and wins the Mission League Championship for 2019 pic.twitter.com/bDlwzrjgHN
In the third quarter, only one goal was scored between the two sides. The squad pulled away in the fourth quarter as a result of two goals by attacker Christian Pang ’20 and three goals on an empty net, ultimately winning the game 12-7.
With the regular season finished, the squad will now begin CIF playoffs next week. Attacker Shay Gillearn ’21 said the squad will focus on preparation heading into the playoffs.
“We want to be more prepared than every other team we play against,” Gillearn said.
