Not much was working for San Benito early in Wednesday’s
Tri-County Athletic League girls water polo match with Santa
Catalina at the Baler Splash Center. The Cougars, known for their
airtight defense, had stuffed the Balers without a shot for the
first 4:33 of the game. Most of the whistles, and their were many
in the match, had gone the Cougars’ way.
Not much was working for San Benito early in Wednesday’s Tri-County Athletic League girls water polo match with Santa Catalina at the Baler Splash Center. The Cougars, known for their airtight defense, had stuffed the Balers without a shot for the first 4:33 of the game. Most of the whistles, and their were many in the match, had gone the Cougars’ way.
For a little over half of the match, the Balers looked destined for defeat. But, something inside churned the Balers’ motor. A goal here, a steal there, a whistle in the Balers’ favor and things had seriously changed. It took all of 34 minutes, including two mandatory overtime periods, but somehow San Benito had come away with a scintillating 9-8 victory.
Katherine Adamek’s insurance goal with 56 seconds left in the second overtime was necessary because the Cougs (1-1, 1-1 T-CAL) got a goal on a rebound shot from Kristine Cosgrove with 25 seconds left to play.
A victory was probably the last thing on Baler head coach Derek Kisling’s mind when his Balers were down 5-1 with four minutes left in the third period. No, it didn’t look good at all for Kisling’s girls, now 3-4 on the year and 2-0 in the T-CAL.
“I told my girls at halftime that pretty soon they were going to get disgusted with the way they were playing and do something about it,” said Kisling. “We made mistake after mistake after mistake. And Santa Catalina capitalized every time. We might have been tired from the Clovis Tournament. I don’t know.”
It appeared that the Balers had righted themselves with 6:43 to go in the second quarter when Jenna DeCoite broke free for the first Balers goal of the game, trimming the Cougs’ lead to 2-1. But Santa Catalina tallied two straight goals, both coming in the last minute of the half. The Cougars’ fourth goal was a beauty, a three-quarter pool shot from Michelle Sullivan as the buzzer sounded.
The Balers were lucky, especially in the first half, for a handful of Cougars shots went over the net or off the top post. Trailing by four goals, Adamek found DeCoite for a goal for 5-2 Cougs. A reversal of a call a mid-pool gave the ball back to the Balers, who took advantage when Denise Simens looked ahead to Natalie Smith, who found the net with 2:05 left in the half. Simens, who had an outstanding match for the Balers, took a pass from Valerie Brittan and scored on a strong shot from six meters out to slice the Cougars’ lead to 5-4 with 27 seconds left in the half and the Balers were officially back in it.
Adamek fired a goal in off Santa Catalina goalie Hillary Sinnott’s hands and the Balers had climbed all the way back to tie it at 5-5 at the 4:24 mark of the third period.
Fasten your seatbelts.
The Balers surged ahead 6-5 on a great individual play by Stacey Lass. Lass scooped up a long carom from a Cougars shot and swam about 13 meters before pulling up against a defender. Lass’ shot was true at 2:15.
The score was tied 6-6 at the end of regulation, but Smith’s good look at the buzzer went wide right, forcing OT.
Simens found goal on an Adamek assist in the first three-minute overtime with 35 seconds showing on the game clock. After the Cougars knotted it at 7-7 on a Cosgrove goal, DeCoite burrowed in for a goal with 1:52 remaining and 8-7 Balers.
“San Benito did a good job of doubling our 2-meters,” said Santa Catalina coach Jim Morton, who started the program there six years ago. “We didn’t do a good job of picking up their sluffing down.”
“It was a rewarding win,” said Adamek.
And a thrilling one, one might add.
Baler bits: The officiating crew wasn’t afraid to blow the whistle. Fifteen power plays were awarded with Cougs having a 9-6 advantage, 5-1 at the half…..Baler goalie Erin Reed had no saves in the first half, but ended the match with four. Sinnott had a total of nine saves…..The Balers are at Salinas next Thursday in a critical T-CAL match…..Santa Catalina defeated Salinas 7-6 last week…..The Balers went 1-4 at the Clovis Showdown, the lone win coming against Sunnyside (Fresno).
Baler boys water polo update: The Balers are at the Palo Alto Invitational this weekend and won’t get many breathers in pool play, so to speak. They meet Lynbrook at Lynbrook in San Jose on Friday at 1:50 p.m. Then it’s league rival Live Oak at 5:10 p.m. on Friday. Cheer up. The Balers meet traditional Central Coast Section Division I power Bellarmine Saturday morning at 8 a.m., also at Lynbrook. “Our annual Saturday morning match with Bellarmine,” quipped Baler head boys polo coach Tom Agan. San Benito will have another match on Saturday, TBA.
