Crescenta Valley Stays Afloat in 7-6 Victory

After an emotional victory over Southern Section power Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday, the Crescenta Valley High girls’ water polo team was ripe for a letdown.

Fortunately for the Falcons, it lasted only about one quarter in a 7-6 victory Wednesday over La Canada in a nonleague match at La Canada.

Crescenta Valley (7-0) watched La Canada (4-3) score four goals in the final 1:49 of the first quarter to take a 4-1 lead.

Then the Falcons asserted themselves.

“We all knew after the first quarter that we weren’t playing up to par,” Coach Peter Kim of Crescenta Valley said. “We had to forget about [Tuesday] and pick up our intensity.”

After narrowing their deficit to 5-4 by halftime, the Falcons used goals by Laura Claessens and Megan Winchell to pull ahead to stay in the third quarter.

The only goal for the Spartans in the second half came on a shot by two-meter player Mariah Zebrowski from point-blank range with 1:44 remaining.

That was the last time La Canada mounted a serious threat.

“We weren’t expecting to have to play another big game [Wednesday],” said goalie Amy Brunton of Crescenta Valley. “After the second quarter, we really pulled together as a team.”

Winchell, Claessens and Jessie Stiles each had two goals for Crescenta Valley.

Justine Nyby had three goals and Zebrowski two for La Canada.