Hosting an undefeated Salinas (2-0 TCAL, 5-0) squad, San Benito
fell behind by a four-goal margin in the first quarter, only to
outscore the Cowboys 7-6 over the remaining three periods. The
comeback wasn’t enough, though, and the Lady Balers dropped its
first game in the Tri-County Athletic League, 10-7.
Meanwhile, the SBHS boys water polo team lost to Salinas,
20-7.
HOLLISTER
Only seven games into the 2009 season, San Benito girls head water polo coach Hayley Vandercook is already seeing a disturbing trend.
The Lady Balers, with a brand new starting six from last season, have a tendency to succumb to the slow start.
“That’s been the story of our lives this season,” Vandercook said. “It’s been a thing of ours since our first game.”
And it reared its ugly head on Tuesday in Hollister.
Hosting an undefeated Salinas (2-0 TCAL, 5-0) squad, San Benito fell behind by a four-goal margin in the first quarter, only to outscore the Cowboys 7-6 over the remaining three periods.
The comeback wasn’t enough, though, and the Lady Balers dropped its first game in the Tri-County Athletic League, 10-7.
“This is one of the first times they’ve played together,” Vandercook said of her youthful team, which is now 1-1 in the TCAL, 4-3 overall. “But I couldn’t be more proud with the way they came back.”
Trailing 4-0 after one quarter, San Benito first found the back of the net when Jeanette Rodriguez hit Hannah Smith on the right side, putting the Lady Balers on the board less than two minutes into the second stanza.
The two teams exchanged goals for the remainder of the half, and while Salinas carried a somewhat comfortable 6-2 lead going into the third, the Lady Balers pocketed three unanswered goals to keep the game interesting.
Goalie Katie Thorpe, meanwhile, blocked 13 Salinas shots.
Rodriguez assisted on a Lauren Lango goal just 19 seconds into the third quarter, while whole set Amanda Virak delivered a no-look bullet past Cowboy keeper Carissa San Paolo some three minutes later.
San Paolo finished with four saves.
San Benito pulled to within one goal in the third when Rodriguez, who finished with two goals and three assists, lofted a shot over San Paolo’s reach from about 15 feet away, cutting Salinas’ lead to 6-5.
The one-goal lead was just enough for the Cowboys, though. The Lady Balers were unable to knot the game in the fourth quarter, in what was a back-and-forth seven minutes of action that saw the score go from 7-5 to 7-6, from 8-6 to 8-7.
Salinas, though, always held on to the lead.
The dagger came when Heidi Vickery pocketed the Cowboys a 9-7 lead on a 5-meter shot and Maddie Gigor followed with a score 23 seconds later, giving Salinas a three-goal cushion with just 1:45 left.
It was Vickery who gave Salinas the early lead in the first quarter, too. The Cowboy whole set scored three of her five goals in the first quarter alone, four in the first half.
San Benito made a defensive change after the first seven minutes, moving Lango to guard Vickery, while also using Rodriguez as a backup defender.
The defensive change certainly worked, as Vickery was held to the lone 5-meter shot in the second half.
“But it took a few too many goals to adjust,” Vandercook said.
Hannah Smith, Caitlin Schafer, Lauren Lango, Amanda Virak and Demi Gatrell each finished with one goal apiece.
San Benito will visit Live Oak next Wednesday, Sept. 23. Match time is 3:30 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
SALI 4 2 0 4 10
SANB 0 2 3 2 7
SBHS Boys Water Polo
The San Benito High boys water polo team lost 20-7 to host Salinas on Tuesday, the first loss for the Haybalers in Tri-County Athletic League play.
San Benito is now 1-1 in the TCAL, 2-3 overall. The Balers will play at Live Oak on Wednesday. Match time is 3:30 p.m.
The San Benito High junior varsity team, meanwhile, lost to Salinas 4-3 in the final minute of regulation.
