Burroughs polo no match for No. 1 Riverside Poly

It was a long ride and a tough opponent which awaited the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team in its playoff opener Wednesday.

Traveling to Riverside County, the Indians went up against a powerhouse Riverside Poly team, which is seeded No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division V, for a first-round contest.

In the end, Burroughs was just overmatched, as it suffered a 23-1 loss to the host Bears.

“They are by far the best team we’ve played all season,” said Burroughs Coach Michael Singhanate, whose team finished the season 8-16 and qualified for the postseason after placing fourth in the Pacific League. “Their defensive skills are outstanding and they have a lot of girls who can score. They are just a top-notch team. Every facet of the game they were good at.”

Riverside Poly (22-8), which advanced to the championship before losing to Crescenta Valley last season, captured the Inland Valley League championship with a perfect 6-0 record.

“Although we lost, it was a good experience for our girls,” Singhanate said. “They all did their research about the team and they found out as much as they could.

“They got to see what a very good program looks like and hopefully that will inspire them for next year.”

Riverside Poly jumped in front early, taking control of the game from the start and going into halftime with an 18-0 lead.

The lone Burroughs goal came in the third quarter by Aliya Ehde.