In an away game at Menlo-Atherton High School, the Carlmont girls JV water polo team suffered a difficult loss, ending their game on Wednesday, Oct. 6, with a final score of 15-6.
The Scots were shut out in the first quarter by the Bears who were able to keep their momentum throughout the game. Carlmont was trailing the entire match and was unable to rally together for a comeback. Carlmont coach Molly McNinch called a timeout shortly after Menlo’s third straight goal in an attempt to turn the game around, which unfortunately for Carlmont, resulted in little change of momentum.
By halftime, the score was 9-1, with the home team running away with it. However, the Carlmont coaches and players did make a statement by holding the red-hot Bears to only one goal in the third quarter.
Maddie Monsler, a junior and the goalie for Carlmont, was constantly under siege by the Bears. The Bears would tack on six more goals to defend their home turf in the second half despite the Scots’ improved defense in the third quarter.
When asked about the lead-up to the game, Monsler said, “We wanted to do more draws and try picks and screens and get better at switching.”
On the day of the match, the Scots were bombarded by Menlo-Atherton’s fast-paced and high-scoring offense. Unfortunately for the Scots, they were unable to match Menlo’s firepower resulting in a poor scoreline for Carlmont.
“MA is fast usually, [we wanted] to keep up with them and to keep our defense strong. I think we had a hard time realizing that was the plan in the first half,” Amelie Laser, a sophomore, added.
As one of the bright spots on offense, Linda Lin was credited with four goals. The junior wing remains optimistic.
“I think we expected a hard game, and I think we just wanted to get the most out of playing such a challenging team,” Lin said.
Even after the defeat, the Scots continue to look forward to their next game against the Woodside Wildcats on Oct. 12 at home.
