Polo

BURBANK - As the current junior class president at Glendale High, it's important for Shushanik Gabrielyan to stay on top of matters involving the student council, academics and extra-curricular activities. It's not that much different in the pool for Gabrielyan, the starting goalkeeper for the Glendale girls' water polo team. Whether its in the classroom or in the pool, plenty of her classmates and teammates count on Gabrielyan. Gabrielyan answered the bell Tuesday, as she made nine saves to spark second-seeded Glendale to a 3-2 victory against third-seeded Arcadia in a semifinal match of the Pacific League Tournament at Burbank High.

LA CAÑADA - Carlos Ponce wasn't discouraged after the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy water polo team suffered its second consecutive Mission League defeat Thursday. What left the Flintridge Sacred Heart coach frustrated was that the Tologs hit the post or crossbar six times in the first half in a home match against Louisville. Still, there's no reason for Ponce to sound the alarm. "There's a lot we came take from this game," Ponce said after Flintridge Sacred heart suffered a 6-2 defeat.

GLENDALE — The Glendale High girls' water polo team is the last area team standing. And as upsets continue to pile up, the Nitros find themselves headed into unchartered waters. Glendale will look for its next upset when it meets Rio Mesa in a CIF Southern Section Division IV quarterfinal match at 5 p.m. today at Burbank High. The Nitros (15-13) are the lone team from the Pacific League left in the playoffs, something that didn't figure to be the case during the regular season.

The Falcons of Crescenta Valley High School traveled to Flintridge Prep for a Mid-Valley Summer League Division I water polo match-up on July 26, against their rival, Glendale High School Nitros. Glendale beat Crescenta Valley 9-7, a week after the two schools met in Burbank. In a game that saw limited offense from the get-go, Glendale scored the only two goals in the first quarter, and both teams scored seven goals apiece the rest of the way to round out the final score. During a lackluster first quarter, Crescenta Valley was unable to get any looks on goal due to ineffective passing.

The attorney for a  UCLA  water polo player arrested for allegedly raping a female student says his client wants to appeal a suspension that forbids him from going to the campus. Berc Agopogulu, lawyer for 18-year-old Hakop Jack Kaplanyan, said his client is "completely innocent. " "We believe this matter will be resolved once the investigation is completed," Agopogulu said in a statement. "Needless to say, Mr. K aplanyan and his family are devastated and shocked by the recent developments.

WHITTIER - Perhaps the area's most successful girls' water polo four-year run came to end Wednesday afternoon. PHOTOS: Crescenta Valley vs. Warren girls' water polo semifinals Defending CIF Southern Section Division V girls' water polo champion Crescenta Valley High came up one game short of defending its title in falling to Warren, 16-9, in the semifinals at Whittier College. With the victory, the second-seeded Bears (20-9), the San Gabriel Valley League champion, earned a trip to the divisional championship game Saturday at Irvine's William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center.

A scheduled arraignment for a Hoover High standout and former UCLA water polo accused of rape ended anticlimactically Thursday with no charges being filed, though prosecutors said that may yet change. Hakop Jack Kaplanyan, a redshirt freshman, was suspended from UCLA after his arrest earlier this month.  "All we can say is the matter is under review for filing consideration," said Shiara Davila-Morales, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. Kaplanyan, who is at home in Glendale and out on $200,000 bail, said the future of the case is uncertain.

Good morning, 818 readers. Today is Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The Glendale area will have a high of 71 and low of 53, according to the National Weather Service. A former UCLA freshman water polo player from Glendale was indicted with forcible rape and other charges on Monday, according to officials from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. A man and his 7-year-old daughter were carjacked at gunpoint outside a Pacoima library on Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

BURBANK — Following a one-year hiatus from the top of the Pacific League, the Crescenta Valley High boys’ water polo team found its way back to its accustomed spot. Little clicked for the Falcons last year, who took third in league following four first-place finishes in a row. With added depth, maturity and a reliable scoring attack, things changed in a hurry this season for the Falcons. Nelson White scored a match-high six goals and Alan Dearman added four on Thursday night to carry top-seeded Crescenta Valley to a 14-8 victory against second-seeded Glendale in the league’s championship match at Burbank.

Glendale-CV girls' water polo.Water polo: Falcon girls top Glendale, 11-4, to win third consecutive Pacific League championship.ARCADIA -- A check of the final statistics revealed that the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team recorded 31 steals. That didn't surprise senior driver Kristin McLaughlin, who had nine to carry the Falcons in an 11-4 victory against Glendale in the championship match of the Pacific League Tournament at Arcadia High on Thursday. "We are our own support system," said McLaughlin, who also finished with five goals to help Crescenta Valley win its third consecutive league crown and seventh since the program formed in 1997.

To look at the body of work compiled by the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team this past season is to grab a snapshot of another successful campaign for the area's top program. The Falcons finished 24-7, captured a fifth straight Pacific League championship and advanced to the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Such success has become consistent and expected at a program that rose to prominence under coach Pete Loporchio and reached its pinnacle with Brent Danna at the helm.

Though the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team came up short of winning the CIF Southern Section Division V championship for a second straight season, the Falcons still commanded plenty of attention when it came to the opponents trying to contain them. Backed by a strong cast of players who excelled on both ends of the pool, Crescenta Valley captured the Pacific League championship for a fifth straight season. It propelled them to a run to the semifinals for the fourth season in a row. For their collective performances, six Crescenta Valley players were bestowed with All-CIF Southern Section recognition after the Falcons finished 24-7, 8-0 in league.

Dominance in the pool resulted in a large share of awards for the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team when the Pacific League honors were recently released. The five-time defending Pacific League champions tallied seven awards, including player of the year, while league runner-up Glendale also had its share of acclaim, as did Hoover. Senior two-meter attacker Elissa Arnold led the way for the Falcons in scoring a team-best 92 goals and was named the league's player of the year.

Good morning, 818 readers. Today is Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The Glendale area will have a high of 71 and low of 53, according to the National Weather Service. A former UCLA freshman water polo player from Glendale was indicted with forcible rape and other charges on Monday, according to officials from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. A man and his 7-year-old daughter were carjacked at gunpoint outside a Pacoima library on Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

WHITTIER - Perhaps the area's most successful girls' water polo four-year run came to end Wednesday afternoon. PHOTOS: Crescenta Valley vs. Warren girls' water polo semifinals Defending CIF Southern Section Division V girls' water polo champion Crescenta Valley High came up one game short of defending its title in falling to Warren, 16-9, in the semifinals at Whittier College. With the victory, the second-seeded Bears (20-9), the San Gabriel Valley League champion, earned a trip to the divisional championship game Saturday at Irvine's William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center.

LAKE ELSINORE - Pick a stat, any stat, and there's little denying the dominant effort turned in by the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team Saturday. The defending CIF Southern Section Division V champion Falcons earned advancement to their fourth consecutive semifinal appearance behind a lockdown defense that helped spur an 11-4 victory over host Temescal Canyon in the divisional quarterfinals. With the victory, the third-seeded Falcons (24-6) qualified for Wednesday's divisional semifinal at 4 p.m. at Whittier College versus No. 2 Warren (19-9)

REDLANDS - Recent trips to the Inland Empire to compete in CIF Southern Section playoff matches haven't worked out well for the Glendale High girls' water polo team; specifically head-to-head matchups with Redlands East Valley. For the second straight postseason, Glendale found itself up against Redlands East Valley in a Division V first-round contest. Unfortunately for the Nitros, their playoff journey was cut short once again by the Wildcats. Glendale saw its season wrap up Wednesday with a 15-6 road defeat against Redlands East Valley.

BURBANK - Crescenta Valley High's girls' water polo team began defense of its CIF Southern Section Division V championship with a confident attitude - and with good reason. Downey, the Falcons' first-round opponent, was the third-place team from the San Gabriel Valley League, and had to win a wild-card match on Tuesday just to play on Wednesday. The Falcons knew Downey would not have offer much of a challenge. They were right. PHOTOS: CV vs. Downey girls' water polo teams compete in CIF first-round match Crescenta Valley scored five unanswered goals in a four-minute span of the first quarter and cruised to a 13-3 victory at Burbank High.