Despite some strong defense, Paly boys water polo lost to Los Gatos High School on Sept. 20, 10-8.
Los Gatos scored the first goal early, which slightly lowered Paly’s confidence.
“The initial goal was a slight setback, however, it only motivated us to work harder.”
Junior Dexter Gormley
Throughout the game, the Vikings trailed only by a point or two.
“We kept our work ethic up throughout the match,” junior Ryan Stanley said. “We were able to tie with them part of the way through the third quarter, but they quickly countered.”
The boys’ strong defense allowed for a tight score, which is credited to intense practices.
“We have improved a lot since the beginning of the season,” junior Ryan Wisowaty said. “We’ve gotten better at executing defensive plays and communication and I think that that is reflected in our record.”
According to senior captain Ben Rapperport, the team fought hard throughout the game but were unable to secure the win.
“Our team’s defense was doing really well and working hard, but it was difficult for the team to get any goals,” Rapperport said. “I think shooting is something our team needs to focus on in order to succeed this season.”
According to senior captain Javid Alasti, the Vikings are hungry for revenge.
“We know that if we play a good game and shut down their main shooter we can win,” Alasti said. “We are also excited that it will be a home game.”
In addition to facing Los Gatos, the team has also faced off against Lynbrook High School, winning 14-5.
“The game went very well. We were able to use our speed to our advantage which got us some counter goals and we played good defense on them and were able to keep a wide gap.”
Junior Ryan Wisowaty
Last year, Paly lost to Lynbrook twice, so Stanley said the win against them this year was a big one.
“I am very proud of the way we worked as a team during that game,” Stanley said. “I hope we can continue to work as a team so we can reach our goals this season.”
The team plays at home against Lincoln High School on Oct. 4 at 6:45 p.m.
