Peter Fuertes
ARCADIA -- The Glendale High girls' water polo team heard the
whispers. Sure, it was undefeated coming into the Pacific League title
match Thursday, one of those victories a come-from-behind victory over
league favorite Crescenta Valley High.
The nay-sayers dared Glendale to beat those same Falcons again, with
the league title on the line. The Nitros obliged.
Megan Scott's four-meter penalty shot with 1:36 left in the second
portion of overtime lifted the Nitros to an 8-7 victory over the Falcons
at Arcadia High.
"It's just so incredible," Scott said. "We feel great for Coach (Carol
Driffill) because she would have to reteach players what to do. This
year, everyone knew what to do, and we knew we had the talent to do
something this year."
The victory assures Glendale (21-6 overall, 7-0 in league) of a home
match when the CIF Southern Section Division II postseason berths are
handled out Sunday. CV (10-8, 5-2) will go as the league runner-up.
"Honestly, I knew we were the best team in league," Driffill said.
"But I knew we had to prove that by beating CV. I knew we had the ability
to do that and our defense, even though it let us down at times, shined
for the most part."
The title match was almost an eerie replica of the first meeting
between the teams Jan. 12. In that match, the Falcons held a three-goal
lead, 5-2, before the Nitros answered with five consecutive goals to come
away with a 7-5 win.
Thursday, CV spotted Glendale a 3-1 lead with 5:30 left in the first
half before running off five consecutive goals, with Jamie Payne
collecting three during that span.
The run gave the Falcons a 6-3 lead with 5:30 left in the third
quarter.
Though the Falcons came up short, Coach Peter Kim could not fault his
team's effort.
"They gave it all they had, and that's all I could ask for," Kim said.
"For us, it was a win-win situation. If we had lost, we would have gone
in (CIF) as the second team, and if we would have won, we would have been
league champions.
"But what it came down to is inexperience. Then again, not many people
would say that a starting lineup with five sophomores and two juniors
could play in a league title game, and take it into overtime, no less.
"But you just hate to see a team, any team, lose a match like this."
Glendale mounted its comeback, beginning with a four-meter penalty
shot for Scott with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter. At 3:14, Meri
Gulyan's shot dribbled past CV goalkeeper Amy Brunton's hands, cutting
the Falcon lead, 6-5.
With 6:38 left, Gulyan scored her second goal to tie the match at 6.
The Falcons regained the lead when Jessie Stiles scored on a
four-meter penalty shot with 3:41 left.
However, the Nitros took a 6-on-5 advantage after Ilana Lopez served a
40-second ejection with 2:44 left and capitalized 17 seconds left on
Kristina Garcia's goal off Megan Scott's pass.
Glendale had two strong chances to finish the Falcons in regulation,
but Ortiz's shot was saved by Brunton, and Gulyan's attempt with 13
seconds left went wide.
That forced overtime, which consists of two halves broken into three
minutes each. In the first portion of overtime, the Falcons had two
scoring opportunities from Stiles and Megan Winchell's attempts, but
their shots hit the side of the cage.
Scott and Garcia scored three goals each for Glendale, and Gulyan
added two. The Falcons were led by Payne's three goals, followed by two
from Stiles and one each from Debbie Snyder and Winchell.
