After the Falcons lost their undefeated record by losing 7-5 to Cupertino on Sept. 23, the Sept. 25 game against previously undefeated Homestead was a must-win for the girls’ water polo team to stay in a tie for the top of the El Camino League.
The team started off strong, with freshman Rosie Chen scoring off a drive during the opening play.
The defense worked hard to stop plays before shots could be attempted, forcing turnovers. Despite two early first quarter ejections against the Falcons, senior Sahana Kumar and the Falcon defense blocked early shots from the Mustangs. However, Homestead’s first goal came from a forced 6-on-5 after Senior Isa Qvarfordt-Zhai was sent to the exclusion area. The first quarter ended less than a minute later, tied at 1-1.
Right before halftime, senior Sophia Tsives was penalized for going over the offensive player, resulting in her first and only ejection of the game. Homestead scored its second goal on the uneven 6-on-5 match up, gaining the 1-point lead. On the next play, the Falcons re-tied the game, with junior Riona Coghlan scoring from outside the left post.
A minute until halftime, Homestead drew another ejection on Coghlan, resulting in another goal from an uneven matchup. Unable to answer back with another goal, the Falcons started the third quarter in a 3-2 deficit.
The third quarter was a defensive stalemate with both teams stopping plays, turning the ball over and goalies blocking shot attempts. After a timeout called by Homestead, the Mustangs were able to score, with the ball slipping through the right corner of the goal and giving them a 4-2 lead with two seconds left on the third quarter clock.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Falcons needed a boost of momentum to win the game while avoiding overtime. Qvarfordt-Zhai won a sprint for the ball, swiping it back towards Tsives who was trailing. Chen, seeing an opening in the water, drove down towards the cage, getting the pass and scoring on the first possession.
A minute later, the Mustangs passed into set, their player shooting a backhand goal and bringing the score back to 5-3, with Homestead clinging on to a 2-point lead. In a swift response, Qvarfordt-Zhai sprinted down toward the cage, calling for the ball and answering back, reducing the lead back to one goal. Less than a minute later, Qvarfordt-Zhai passed the ball out from set up to senior Anagha Vitaldevara. Vitaldevara lobbed the ball cross cage, setting it into the back of the goal, tying the game 5-5.
Though the game was tied, the team was determined to win without going into overtime. The Falcons forced a turnover, passing the ball to Coghlan with five seconds left on the clock. She took the shot — and scored the game winner.
With the win, the team still has hope of winning the league and possibly attending CCS at the end of the season. Currently, the Falcons are in a three-way tie for first place in the league with Cupertino and Homestead.
“Although our loss against Cupertino was a setback, I’m really proud of how we didn’t let it push us down,” Coghlan said. “We fought really hard for the win against Homestead.”
