The Coronado Islander Girls Varsity Water Polo team hosted the Carlsbad Lancers on Thursday, December 7, in a tight matchup that lasted nearly two hours. Despite the Lancers’ early lead, the Islanders made a comeback during the fourth to send the game into regular overtime and eventually six Golden Goal Sudden Death Overtimes, where they eventually fell 7-6. Nevertheless, it was a showcase of the team’s pure grit and stamina which prove why the Islanders are one of the top-ranked teams in San Diego County.
Carlsbad scored the first goal of the night. Seniors Allie Ralston and Megan Ledgerwood had shots on goal, but were deflected. It seemed like the Islanders were off to a slow start as they couldn’t manage to score during the first period, which ended 2-0.
Ledgerwood hurled one in the back of the net at the start of the second, but Carlsbad responded with two goals of their own, which ended the second 4-1. The Islanders knew they needed a couple Hail Marys in order to stay in contention. If you know anything about this team, it’s that the girls excel at comebacks.
Thanks to a pep talk by coach Jesse Smith, the Islanders rallied during the third.
Ledgerwood scored two more goals for the Islanders, both of them you really wouldn’t believe were possible unless you saw it with your own eyes. With two or three defenders guarding her (plus the goalie), Ledgerwood’s impeccable timing to strike at the right instant was unmatched.
Senior Kyla Granados also had a shot, but the Lancer goalie narrowly deflected it. The score was 5-3 going into the fourth, and it seemed like the Islanders were just then gaining the momentum they needed to hang with the Lancers.
During the fourth, senior Grace Miller fired one into the back of the net and narrowed the gap to just one point 5-4.
With less than a minute to play, Caraline Wastila made the Islanders’ biggest play of the night. She broke free of her defender and stepped up to score the game-tying goal, which ended the regular game 5-5.
The Islander defense was impenetrable during the fourth. Ralston, Granados, and Sophia Kenny were key in preventing the Lancers from scoring. Goalie Harper Gilbert also had an incredible game and tallied over 10 saves throughout the night.
In water polo, overtime consists of two three-minute periods. Carlsbad scored during the first, which left the game at 6-5 with three minutes left. Never underestimate the underdogs, because the Islanders made a comeback of their own. Wastila once again tied the game at 6-6, which sent the game to double overtime.
The game went to sudden death, where the first team that scored won the game. The offensive and defensive ends of both teams were evenly-matched. The Islanders would have the ball and take a shot, but it’d be deflected by the goalie. Carlsbad would do the same, and the game went back and forth for not one, two, three, or even four periods, but five three minute periods. Finally, during the sixth Golden Goal Sudden Death period, Carlsbad struck and slipped it past Gilbert’s reach to end the game 7-6.
Despite the devastatingly narrow loss, this game was a testament to the Islanders’ resilience and stamina. To tread water, defend, and pass for nearly two hours shows just how adept this team is at handling the pressure.
On Friday, December 8, the Islanders hosted Helix High School and won by a score of 6-2.
The next home game for the Islanders will be on Thursday, December 14, against Clairemont.
