The boys’ varsity water polo team lost to Washington 13-8 in a heated game on October 10 at Washington.

The game started off with an explosive first quarter. Right off the bat, Washington was able to score. Turnovers were quite common, but neither team let the other gain a significant lead. In an attempt to turn the game around, Cade Ross (12) passed the ball multiple times but ended up shooting slightly above the goal. As the quarter drew to a close, Irvington passed the ball across the pool past the defenders and got the ball to Erbin Abarado (10) who scored. At the end of the quarter, the score was Washington 4-1.

The second quarter did not look too bright for the Vikings. The Huskies won the sprint and managed to start off with the ball, and turned that possession into a goal. However, when Washington regain possession of the ball and attempted another shot, Irvington’s goalkeeper, Calvin Mei (12), managed to block the shot. The rest of the quarter resulted in a lot of long distance passing, most notably from Cade Ross (12) to Owen Schmitz (12), which resulted in Irvington scoring another point. Meanwhile, the Huskies were still racking up the points. Nearing the end of the first half, Cade Ross (12)  managed to make a shot with his back turned towards the goal. At the end of the second quarter, the score was 9-3, Irvington what.

During the third quarter, the Vikings were able to go on offense a lot more but did not manage to turn the tide of the game. Near the middle of the quarter, a language foul was called (on who)and play stopped for a brief amount of time. Irvington managed to pass the ball quickly but ended up shooting slightly above the goal. The quarter ended with the score being 12-4, Irvington.

In the final quarter, Irvington managed to make a significant comeback. Irvington won the sprint and gained possession of the ball when Jeremey Leung (12) got fouled by a Washington player and had to sit out for some time. Down a player in this crucial time did not hurt Irvington, but only further motivated them. Irvington made many shots by passing elegantly while also defending the goal. Irvington’s Owen Schmitz managed to block one of the shots and helped the boys to regain possession. After a brief timeout, Irvington managed to score more points to lessen the point gap. The game resulted in a 13-8 loss for the Vikings.

“This is a very difficult pool to play in because it is not a regulation sized pool. The advantage is to the home team (Washington) that plays and practices here every day. In this case, we did not adjust to the small pool the way we should have.” coach Maher said. “We played the same team about two weeks ago and it was a 1-point game. We will be playing Washington at the MVAL’s at a larger, neutral pool, and we hope to capitalize on our swimming ability.”

Currently, the team is practicing hard, working on their defense, and hope to beat Washington in the upcoming MVALs starting on the 23rd.