In the last league game before playoffs, the Warrior boys water polo team (13-10-0, 4-1-0) emerged victorious against the Fullerton Indians 8-7 Oct. 16
Only two minutes in, following a great save from senior Wei Foo, the Warriors scored. After the block, Foo quickly advanced the ball to junior Colter Henkhaus, who scored while the opposing defense tracked back. However, all of the Warriors’ attacking prospects ceased after the Fullerton defense started to press and allowed no breathing room for the Warriors to execute their offense. The tide turned as Fullerton added on three goals. To end the quarter, senior Alexander Cheung caught the keeper by surprise with a high arching lob shot that reduced the lead to only a goal.
Just as the second quarter started with the Warriors down 3-2, Cheung floated a chip shot right over the keeper’s outstretched hands only a mere minute and a half into the period. This aggressive attacking play would only last for a short time, as Fullerton roared back and scored three goals in the period, one of which occurred in the last seconds off of a botched free throw from the Warriors.
The Warriors surged in the third period and scored five goals. The first came barely 40 seconds from Cheung, who scored after Lim-Hanna provided him with a perfect switch pass. Senior Jacob Chandler also contributed to the score after the boys caught Fullerton off guard with a quick restart from a free throw. The team added on three more goals and gained a 7-6 advantage over the stunned Fullerton team that failed to score in the third quarter.
With the momentum on their side, the Warriors attacked constantly to open the next quarter. Consequently, Fullerton took advantage of the aggressive mindset and scored while the Warriors were on the opposing end to tie the game at seven. With two minutes left, Foo made a seemingly impossible stop in goal to keep the scores even. Only about a minute later, sophomore Jake Ngo scored the winning goal at point-blank range giving the opposing goalkeeper no chance to stop his shot. Fullerton narrowly missed a chance 20 seconds later, but the defense pulled a vital stop and knocked the ball off from the shooter’s hand to save a goal.
Cheung attributed the exciting win to the team’s calm demeanor.
“Our strength was our calmness under pressure compared to Fullerton,” Cheung said. “They had talent, but it was erased due to their frustration and bad composure.”
This allowed for the team to take advantage of Fullerton’s shortcomings and complete the comeback.
A nail biting comeback seemed unlikely, but coach Jason Wilson praised his players for their resilience that they demonstrated during the game.
“These guys have a lot of heart [and] fight,” Wilson said. “They have even been practicing in a pool that has not had a working heater for two weeks.”