Flintridge Prep water polo clamps down on Brentwood
LA CAÑADA — Its defensive plan was a simple one. The Flintridge Prep boys’ water polo team knew that if it limited the scoring chances of Brentwood’s top scorer, the Eagles’ offensive would crumble.
The Rebels executed their strategy to perfection.
PHOTOS: Flintridge Prep boys water polo downs Brentwood in home game
Flintridge Prep held Brentwood to only one goal in the first 17 minutes of the match Friday as the Rebels ran away with a 13-7 Prep League home victory.
Brentwood’s Shane Patterson, who was left frustrated throughout the afternoon, had five goals to lead his team, but four of those scores came in the final eight minutes of the match when the Rebels (13-5, 7-0 in league) had a comfortable nine-goal advantage.
“We helped each other out on defense,” said Flintridge Prep sophomore Ian Tien, who, like sophomore teammate Kasen Barraclough, had five goals. “We knew we had to lock [Patterson] down. We knew he was going to be their offense.”
The Eagles (5-7, 1-5) had trouble getting Patterson the ball into the set and had few opportunities from the outside.Most of the shots that Brentwood did get off were stopped by goalkeeper Greg Walsh, who had 12 saves and two of his team’s 11 steals.
“I was really pleased with the team defense,” said Rebels Coach Daniel Hare, whose squad is the No. 10-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division IV. “We watched film and we knew who we needed to neutralize.”
Patterson’s goal with 3:04 remaining in the first quarter cut the Rebels’ lead to 2-1, but the Eagles were blanked on the scoreboard for the following 13 minutes as Flintridge Prep scored seven unanswered goals.
“If they couldn’t get it into the set and they didn’t have an outside shot, they didn’t have an offense,” Barraclough said.
Tien and Barracloughwere the Rebels’ offense.
They combined to score or assist on all of their team’s goals, with Barraclough notching four assists to go with two steals. The underclassmen praised their team, though, for their impressive statistics.
“We play offense like we play defense, as a team,” Barraclough said. “We help each other out.”
Added Tien: “I have to thank my teammates. A lot of my goals came because of other people’s hard work.”
Sean King, a senior, had two goals, four steals and two assists and Evan Havunjian, a junior, had one goal for the Rebels, who moved one step closer to claiming another league title.
“This is a good step in achieving that league championship,” said Hare, whose team won the league title last year. “This is a nice win against a good team.”