SHP, Menlo Girls Come Up Short in CCS Water Polo Finals
Leland 8, Sacred Heart Prep 6
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From SHP coach Jon Burke’s point of view, this probably wasn’t the best year to kick off the Open Division era. The Gators were a little on the young side and Leland was very good, beating them for the third time in three tries on the season.
“I’m super proud of the kids, we just came up a little short,’’ Burke said. “Leland is an outstanding team. Our goal was to hold them to seven or less. We almost got it done.’’
The biggest problem was a slow-starting offense for Sacred Heart Prep (21-8). Leland led 4-0 at halftime and extended the lead to 6-0 early in the third quarter.
Freshman Bella Bachler finally got the Gators on the scoreboard with a goal at the 4:55 mark of the third quarter. She scored another one 31 seconds later to make it 6-2.
But Leland (26-3) responded with a pair of goals of its own to go up 8-2. Addi Duvall and Nadia Paquin scored in the final minute of the third quarter as SHP pulled to within 8-4.
Bachler and Claire Kerrigan scored fourth-quarter goals, but it was too little, too late.
“We had trouble scoring the first quarter and a half,’’ Burke said. “We were a little tight. In a game like this you’ve got to come out firing from the start. We kept chipping away but the game has a finite number in it -- 28 minutes.
“It was awesome playing in the Open. We welcome the change.’’
SHP’s season is not over. The CIF NorCal playoffs begin Tuesday.
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Sacred Heart Prep’s run of 10 consecutive Central Coast Section girls water polo championships came to an end Saturday in an 8-6 loss to Leland in the inaugural Open Division championship match at Independence High School.
From SHP coach Jon Burke’s point of view, this probably wasn’t the best year to kick off the Open Division era. The Gators were a little on the young side and Leland was very good, beating them for the third time in three tries on the season.
“I’m super proud of the kids, we just came up a little short,’’ Burke said. “Leland is an outstanding team. Our goal was to hold them to seven or less. We almost got it done.’’
The biggest problem was a slow-starting offense for Sacred Heart Prep (21-8). Leland led 4-0 at halftime and extended the lead to 6-0 early in the third quarter.
Freshman Bella Bachler finally got the Gators on the scoreboard with a goal at the 4:55 mark of the third quarter. She scored another one 31 seconds later to make it 6-2.
But Leland (26-3) responded with a pair of goals of its own to go up 8-2. Addi Duvall and Nadia Paquin scored in the final minute of the third quarter as SHP pulled to within 8-4.
Bachler and Claire Kerrigan scored fourth-quarter goals, but it was too little, too late.
“We had trouble scoring the first quarter and a half,’’ Burke said. “We were a little tight. In a game like this you’ve got to come out firing from the start. We kept chipping away but the game has a finite number in it -- 28 minutes.
“It was awesome playing in the Open. We welcome the change.’’
SHP’s season is not over. The CIF NorCal playoffs begin Tuesday.
Sacred Heart Schools Atherton
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12
