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Glendale High girls’ water polo nails down another league win at Burbank

The Glendale High girls' water polo team improved to 3-0 in the Pacific League with a 14-4 win over Burbank High Tuesday.
(Tim Berger/Staff Photographer)
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BURBANK — It was a result that showed what different trajectories the Glendale High and Burbank girls’ water polo teams are currently on.

A stout defense that forced 24 turnovers and equally dominating offensive performance from Biyouregh Boghozian, who finished with a game-high eight goals and five steals, led Glendale to a 14-4 Pacific League victory Tuesday on the road.

“My coach always tells us to think defense first and offense is going to come by itself,” said Boghozian, who also had with five steals. “That’s what we did today — defense, defense, defense and the offense came.”

The game was good for Glendale’s third league victory in as many tries, which keeps it tied with Burroughs atop the league standings with Crescenta Valley also a perfect 2-0, 14-1 overall, in league. Something will have to give Thursday at Burroughs when the Nitros (9-8, 3-0 in league) clash with the Indians at 3:30 p.m.

“Everyone seems to be peaking at the right time of the year,” Glendale Coach Forest Holbrook said. “We had a bit of a rough start to the year where we were like 4-6, but the girls were able to keep the focus on league, like we said, and now we’re 3-0 for a tie for the lead.”

The result was the Bulldogs (7-6, 1-2) second league loss in a row after they fell to cross-town rival Burroughs, 10-4, on Thursday.

“Everything we worked on practice occurred today,” said Bulldogs Coach Kristina Garcia, who felt her team lacked confidence Tuesday. “Unfortunately, that execution wasn’t there and it was really sad to see. A lot of the girls held their heads low because they know they’re so much better. Today, unfortunately, it just didn’t show.”

After playing to a 2-2 tie in the first seven minutes, the Nitros began to separate themselves in the second quarter. Maddie Corpuz (three goals, three steals) scored 16 seconds into the frame off a Boghozian assist. Corpuz returned the favor a minute later when she grabbed a steal in the middle of the pool and led a streaking Boghozian with a pass that set up a breakaway goal.

Burbank attempted to take back momentum when Seika Ha (two assists) set up Giuliana Vitagliano (two goals) for an easy six-on-five goal with 4:30 to play in the half.

Boghozian had more than one answer for the Bulldogs tally, however, as she cashed in a five-meter goal 23 seconds later and pushed the Nitros — No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division V — lead to 6-3 when she turned her defender before scoring her fifth goal of the game with 3:15 to play.

Boghozian said she came into the game with plenty of nerves and wasn’t really looking to score, but it just happened.

“At first I was so nervous because it’s my senior year,” she said. “It’s the end and I have to make sure I give my all in every game.”

The second quarter was also the beginning of Glendale’s domination defensively, as it held Burbank to four shots and forced seven turnovers in the frame. The Bulldogs were held off the board completely in the third, as the Nitros increased their advantage to eight goals, 11-3, with Corpuz and Boghozian (five steals) each scoring twice in the frame.

By the time Burbank snapped its scoring drought, which lasted 11 minutes, 36 seconds until Abby Glaessner (two goals) scored with 4:54 to play in the game, the contest was well out of hand with Glendale leading 13-4.

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