La Cañada High boys’ water polo, Lowe edge South Pasadena in OT again

LA CAÑADA — For a second straight time, the La Cañada High and South Pasadena boys’ water polo teams found themselves deadlocked in a Rio Hondo League contest.

While that may have been expected before Tuesday afternoon’s showdown at La Cañada High, perhaps the visiting Tigers should have also anticipated that two-meter attacker Wyatt Lowe would have a hand in the final result.

The Spartans sophomore found himself in prime position and scored another overtime winner versus South Pasadena, this time with 37 seconds remaining to secure a critical 11-10 victory for the Spartans.

“Wyatt Lowe, he’s the hero again,” Spartans second-year Coach Christian Flores said. “He’s a beast and he put himself in the perfect spot and he did it again.”

With the victory, La Cañada (8-11 overall, 5-0 in league) inched closer to defending its league crown as the Spartans took a two-game lead over Temple City (19-7, 4-2) with three matches left, while South Pasadena (7-12, 3-3) is now in third.

PHOTOS: La Cañada High boys’ water polo defeats visiting South Pasadena in overtime

As for Lowe, he and the Spartans found themselves in a familiar place as the sophomore previously delivered the game-clinching goal in La Cañada’s 8-7 overtime win at South Pasadena in the league opener on Oct. 9.

Like that day, the Spartans were engaged in a back-and-forth contest that saw South Pasadena knot the score at 10 with 47 seconds remaining in the second half of the overtime session on a goal from Ryan Rodriguez (three assists) off an assist from Leo Sonner.

The Spartans answered 14 seconds later when senior Reed Buck passed to Lowe, who was seven meters from the cage with a defender directly in front of him.

Lowe quickly fired a skip shot around both his defender and South Pasadena goalie Will Renken (14 saves) for the go-ahead score.

“I think we all felt that sense of urgency that we had to score,” Lowe said. “I thought I had a good enough look, so I took it.”

The goal gave the Spartans an 11-10 lead, but left enough time for one more salvo from the Tigers.

South Pasadena responded with a four-meter shot that just sailed wide right with 17 seconds left.

Despite trying to force a steal, South Pasadena was unable to wrestle a final possession away from La Cañada, which iced the game.

“It’s very frustrating to get so close again and not come away with a win,” South Pasadena Coach Michael Gonzales said. “We’re two very evenly matched teams and it’s just been one play that’s separated us.”

The Tigers appeared the aggressor in the first half in taking a 4-2 lead at the break behind three of Rodriguez’ team-best four goals.

La Cañada responded in the third quarter, winning the frame, 3-1, with two key goals from senior driver Grant Haxton to tie the score at 5.

South Pasadena scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter before the Spartans pulled even with single scores from Reed and Matt Olsen (two goals, three assists and three steals).

The Tigers took their final advantage of 8-7 with 2:44 left in the game on a goal from DJ Myer (three goals and three assists), who was assisted by Rodriguez.

La Cañada equalized 12 seconds later on a goal from senior Leo Neat off an assist from Felix Park.

Not to be lost in the Spartans’ win was a solid effort from junior goalie Kyle Ghaby, who finished with 14 saves.