‘Balers down Presentation to win H2Oktoberfest; 5-3 finale
pushes win streak to 13 games
Hollister – These are the type of wins that do wonders for a team’s confidence. In surprisingly easy fashion, the San Benito girls’ water polo team downed Presentation 5-3 on Saturday in the championship game of the H2Oktoberfest to pocket their second tournament title this season.
“It’s pretty big,” sophomore Shelli Reed said after the ‘Balers won their own tournament. “This is the first year we’ve been this good, to win tournaments.”
On the heels of their championship in the Independence Sixer Tournament in September, San Benito (15-2) has now won two of the three regular-season tournaments it has scheduled. Moreover, the ‘Balers registered milestone wins en route to both of those titles.
At Independence, it was the victory over perennial foil Live Oak that spurred the team to its championship-game win over Saratoga. After beating the Acorns, the ‘Balers celebrated by throwing coach Lacey Sutton in the pool.
Perhaps it’s a sign of the team’s growth and maturity, even just two weeks later, that the players didn’t commemorate Saturday’s win over Presentation with the same ritual. Or maybe Sutton is now onto their game, quickly getting out of harm’s way after the final buzzer.
What is clear, however, is that the ‘Balers mean business in the pool. Presentation, which has qualified for the last six Central Coast Section Championships, is exactly the type of team that San Benito needs to be able to beat should the ‘Balers realize their dreams of a playoff run.
“It means a lot,” Sutton said of the win, “because we’re not only beating our league teams, but we’re also beating the San Jose teams – the ones that practice all year ’round or all summer long.”
In the H2Oktoberfest finale, San Benito jumped to a quick lead and never looked back, using strong teamwork on the defensive side of the ball and a coming-of-age performance from goalie Sarah Yoldi to sink the Panthers.
“We stopped their drives all together,” said Sutton, whose team effectively executed its gameplan of slowing down Presentation’s counterattack.
In addition, Yoldi expertly fended off the Panthers, leaping out to stop one-on-one drives with steals and blocks, leading her coach to say, “She saved us the game; she had the best game of her entire life.”
Junior Jayme Telles, who had the game-winning goal in the ‘Balers’ thrilling overtime victory over Saratoga on Friday, led the team with two goals. Kirsten Palm, Stephanie Rodriguez and Katie Buzzetta each scored once for San Benito.
Earlier Saturday, the ‘Balers rolled over Piedmont Hills 16-4 in the final game of pool play. Buzzetta scored six times, and Valerie Nicolason and Telles both had three goals.
San Benito beat San Lorenzo Valley 16-7 and eked by Saratoga 9-8 in extra time on Friday to enter Saturday with designs on the championship.
For a team that has four runaway wins in its 5-0 start to Tri-County Athletic League play and has now won 13 straight overall, taking the H2Oktoberfest title has the players believing that more than just the team’s first CCS appearance since 2004 is possible this season.
“I think this is the year for us,” Reed said. “I think we can go a long ways.”
After hosting Notre Dame on Thursday, the ‘Balers have their final measuring stick of the regular season – a visit to TCAL powerhouse Santa Catalina on Oct. 17.
