Just minutes after the starting whistle, the girls JV water polo team jumped ahead with a lead that would bring them to a 10-6 victory against Aragon.
Intensity was high from the start as shot after shot was made against both teams. However, it was Carlmont freshman Emma Elliot who scored the first goal of the match. Despite the Scots’ strong defense, the Dons soon caught up with a goal by Aragon freshman, Jude Naber, ending the first quarter 1-1.
According to freshman Anika Marino, Carlmont’s offense was notably strong this match.
“I think we did well on attempts,” Marino said. “I also think that we had a better time handling tonight than we have previously.”
Though Carlmont’s offense continued to attack throughout the first quarter, the Scots truly began to dominate the pool in the second quarter.
Less than a minute into the second quarter, junior Kristina Tikhonova intercepted a pass and scored another goal for the Scots.
Following Tikhonova’s goal, junior and captain of the JV team Nisha Marino gained possession of the ball and took several shots. The first sailed over the goal, the second missed wide, and finally after a pass from Tikhonova, the third found the back of the net, increasing the Scots’ lead to 3-1.
“I think they [the quarters] went pretty well,” Tikhonova said. “I was really tired though because the other team was really good, and I think that they were on the same level [of intensity].”
Determined to catch up to the Scots, Aragon’s offensive line became more aggressive and soon bounced back with two goals. Though the two teams were once again tied 3-3, the scoreboard tilted back to Carlmont’s favor for good as freshman Jessica Conley scored ending the first half 4-3.
According to Aragon’s goalie, freshman Maya Ayoub, the Dons lacked the speed and aggression on defense to stop the Scots.
“I think it went pretty good, but we need to be faster and make better passes,”Ayoub said. “Pressure passes, getting back on defense, and just overall working better as a team are things that we need to improve on.”
As Carlmont’s defensive line and keeper blocked each shot and attempt at goal by Aragon, the Scots continued to rack up points throughout the third quarter with goals by Elliott and sophomore Maddy Ting.
“I felt like we kept fighting through the end,” said Lauren Padilla, the JV coach for Aragon. “There’s definitely a few Carlmont players on their JV team that are really fast and they did a good job taking advantage of their speed and getting a lot of one on nobody goals.”
In the fourth quarter, the Scots kept up their scoring streak and secured their lead against the Dons. With goals by Conley, Sophia Sharron, and Nisha Marino, the Scots ended the match 10-6.
However, despite their victorious win, Anika Marino believed that there was more to the game than the points they scored.
“I do feel confident about the season because to us, it’s not so much about the scoring, it’s more about how we played and I think we’ve improved a lot,” Marino said.
