The rivalry between San Benito and Gilroy resulted in a raucous
first half of water polo Thursday, but the intensity couldn’t be
sustained for one squad in the second half.
The rivalry between San Benito and Gilroy resulted in a raucous first half of water polo Thursday, but the intensity couldn’t be sustained for one squad in the second half.
The visiting Lady ‘Balers proved to be too strong for the Mustangs in the final regular season game of Tri-County Athletic League play, taking a 13-6 victory.
Gilroy dropped to 4-4 in league with the loss while San Benito secured the second place seed in next week’s TCAL championships by improving to 7-1. Gilroy is settled in as the fifth seed.
Overcoming a 4-3 deficit at halftime, the Lady ‘Balers rallied with an aggressive offensive attack, driving on goal to outscore the Mustangs 9-3 in the third and fourth periods.
Katie Buzzetta led all scorers with six goals for San Benito, improving her season total to 68.
Jayme Telles was the second leading scorer in the contest, pitching in five goals for the Lady ‘Balers , three of which came in the second half to help push the game out of reach. She now has 65 on the year.
“I’d say it was a way to finish the league,” Telles said, “because I’m a senior … That seats us at the No. 2 position in league so that means we’ll be playing the last place team (in league playoffs), so, that helps us for TCALs.”
That last place squad is Watsonville, which has yet to win a league game this season and will face the Lady ‘Balers on Tuesday.
After the game, San Benito Coach Lacey Sutton wasn’t exactly pleased with the win, saying the team performed below what’s expected.
“No, not for us,” she said. “We were doing a lot of stupid mistakes. We weren’t playing ‘Baler polo.”
She did find one positive to take away from the game though.
“We didn’t give up, I can say that much,” Sutton said.
The focus is now on making sure everything goes to plan in the TCAL Championships, which very likely will pit San Benito and Gilroy against one another in the second round.
Sutton said her team’s goals are to match last year’s finish at the very least.
“At least second round CCS, the same as last year,” she said. “We want to win league this year, we want to beat Santa Catalina.”
That would set up a little redemption for San Benito after losing 10-7 to Santa Catalina on Oct. 16.
