In a bloody battle against the Bears, the Carlmont varsity boy’s water polo team suffered an unbearable 7-10 loss on Oct. 12. The Scots, led by junior Zane Tanabe, battled valiantly during their home game but could not pull away with the win on Carlmont’s senior night.
As tensions rose between the teams, the game became increasingly more aggressive. Calls from officials were few and far between, allowing the aggressiveness to fester.
Carlmont Coach Justine Hedlund and Menlo-Atherton Coach Steven Canalez even joined forces to talk to the officials at the end of the third quarter, as dirty plays from both sides were getting out of hand.
“There’s just not enough calls being made, and what happens at that point is that players start getting a little bit chippy, the tension starts to rise, they start playing more aggressively, and the door opens up for people to get hurt,” Canalez said.
Hedlund was also unsatisfied with the reffing of the game. She thought that the game was too aggressive and that more calls should have been made to prevent injuries.
“I was surprised, I did feel the game got to the point where it was dangerous. That’s why at the end of the third quarter I went over to the MA coach and asked him to come to talk to the refs with me, to start calling more five-meters (penalty shots) because the game was getting out of control,” Hedlund said.
Players and fans from both sides agreed with the coaches as shocked voices and complaints could be heard when the referees missed call after call.
Carlmont senior Peyton Ting suffered a bloody nose after being kicked in the face, but the officials made no call. Similar plays resulted in an onslaught in the pool, and both teams’ players had noticeable bruises on their bodies.
“[Menlo-Atherton] played pretty dirty. It was a very physical game, but at some point, the refs need to call something,” Ting said. “If there’s no limit to what the opposing team can do to you, some things just go too far.”
The Scots dominated both ends of the pool in the first quarter, jumping to a quick 4-0 lead. However, after being shut down for the entirety of the first quarter, the Bears clawed their way back into the game and took a 5-4 lead to end the half.
With all their momentum behind them going into the third period, the Bears took control of the game, outscoring the Scots 5-3 in the second half.
The Scots fought hard until the end, but the Bears held on to their lead and emerged victorious.
“We always come out with a quick jump, but we don’t really finish strong,” Tanabe said.
Despite the disappointing loss on their senior night, the Scots stayed positive and enjoyed their ceremony, where seniors delivered heartfelt speeches.
The Scots’ record is now 2-3, and they will need to win the final two league games to clinch a spot in CCS.
The Scots played well overall and have high expectations for their upcoming game against Terra Nova next Tuesday, Oct. 18.
