Rebels click throughout in victory
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — A quality defensive effort and two alert goal scorers on board led to rapid progression Thursday afternoon for the Flintridge Prep girls’ water polo team.
Tori Glebocki and Hannah Polack each scored four goals to spark Flintridge Prep to an 8-3 nonleague home victory against Alhambra.
The Rebels (4-4) allowed just one goal in the last three quarters to get back on track. Flintridge Prep, which didn’t win a match last season, will take anything it can get in its first season under the guidance of Coach Alex Supple.
“I’m impressed with the way they bounced back in the second and third quarters,” said Supple, whose team owned a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. “I feel like we were able to wear down [Alhambra] and we were able to continue doing some good things.”
Flintridge Prep led throughout, buoyed by the offensive efforts turned in by Glebocki and Polack. Glebocki scored on her first two shots to stake Flintridge Prep to a 2-0 lead.
Alhambra (3-5) stayed close with the Rebels, closing to within 3-2 on a goal by Darly Htike with 1:13 left in the opening quarter.
However, Polack scored her second goal of the quarter to make it 4-2 with 48 seconds remaining.
Glebocki, a sophomore utility player, said the Rebels needed to start strong Thursday.
“Coach Supple said he wanted us to be able to shoot more,” said Glebocki, who tallied a pair of fourth-quarter goals to cap the scoring. “I think we have gotten stronger as a team after not winning any games last year, so we are progressing.”
Polack, a junior utility player, scored four goals in a row to give the Rebels a 6-2 advantage. Polack’s final goal came with the man-advantage with 59 seconds left in the third quarter.
Flintridge Prep competed without starters Sally Suzuki and Emily Law, who were both sick.
That forced Supple to reshuffle the lineup throughout parts of the match.
“We were able to put people out there who were able to fill different roles,” Supple said. “Hannah and Tori did well out there.
“With Hannah, she plays aggressive and with high energy so that can set the tone for us. Tori has the ability to take the outside shots, and she did that early in the game.”
The Rebels scored on one of their four man-advantage opportunities.
Flintridge Prep junior goalkeeper Patricia McGown finished with six saves, including four in the second half.
