After last week’s 10-2 win against Valhalla High School, the Islander Girls’ Water Polo team would move onto the CIF Semi-Finals to play against Carlsbad High School away at La Jolla. As Carlsbad was seeded No. 2, Coronado (No. 3) knew they were in for a tough game. The first quarter of the match bode well for the Islanders, as senior Reese Oliver started off the match with a goal to lead 1-0. Carlsbad responded with another goal. With three seconds left, senior Ryan Sund scored one more goal with an assist by Oliver to lead 2-1. Goalkeeper Michelle Croteau helped keep Carlsbad out of the goal, with five saves in the first quarter and nine saves overall. Although the game was tight, the Islanders were in a good position to lead significantly by the end of the half.
In the second quarter, their opponents would gain momentum, making six attempts on Coronado’s goal, of which only one was stopped by Croteau. Less than a minute remained in the first half when team captain Grace Harbaugh was able to score one more goal, with an assist by senior Sheila Tomlin. This slightly closed the margin, as Carlsbad now led 3-6.
The momentum shifted in the third quarter, and the Islanders were able to score five more goals. Senior Abby Sylvester had a streak of three goals, while senior Danni Croteau and Tomlin each scored in the last thirty seconds. With the three-goal deficit of the first half, Coronado was now one goal behind Carlsbad going into the last quarter. Although Brooke Lee and Ryan Sund had several great attempts, Carlsbad’s defense and goalkeeper kept Coronado from scoring in the fourth. This gave Carlsbad an 8-11 victory, as they take their place in the finals.
Congratulations to the Islander Girls’ Water Polo team for an excellent season and a close post-season!
