Last preseason game ends in a loss
In the last game of the Diamond Bar High School boys’ water polo preseason, the Brahmas gave away their lead in the fourth quarter and lost to Glendale 12-10.
The team started off with intensity and on fire. In the first quarter, Brahma senior captain Daniel Stahly scored three goals off steals and great passes from teammates. Stahly was the key player in the first half, giving the team a good defense and an even better offense.
Through a pressure-oriented defense, Glendale had a series of unsuccessful possessions, most ending in a steal and score from the Brahmas. Junior goalie Nicholas Chebat also had a couple of blocks for the Brahmas, allowing few shots to get past him. Although the biggest lead of the night would be a 4-1 lead against Glendale, the Brahmas press left the left side of their field open for attack, allowing the opposing team to score two goals from the left lane.
In the beginning of the second quarter, the Brahmas continued to follow the same strategy, pressing and attacking. Throughout the quarter, the Brahmas had great spacing control on the offensive field, rotating the ball to the weak side for an easy shot. They continued to steal off Glendale’s weak pressure passing and capitalized on their opponents’ mistakes on the offensive side. Stahly and junior Kevin Kim found points in the second quarter to give the Brahmas a two-point lead by the end of the first half, 8-6.
In the third quarter, sophomore Jude Solis scored off an assist to increase the Brahmas’ lead to 9-6. However, the Brahmas started losing control of the game. The team could not cut off the passing lanes, and their press was falling apart due to the defenders not coming out to stop the ball handler.
Diamond Bar threw away two back-to-back possessions and even allowed Glendale to score off one of them, bringing the score to 9-7. The Brahmas found their stride again when Kim scored off an assist, but Glendale ended the quarter with a goal of their own, making it 10-8.
The Brahmas struggled in the fourth quarter. Not only were they dry on the offensive side of the field, but they gave up their lead and lost the game. The team’s defense allowed too many opponents to get too close to the goal. The Glendale Nitros shortened the lead with another goal, 10-9.
In addition, a violation by the Brahmas resulted in an awarded penalty shot that tied the game score, 10-10. The Brahmas continued to repeat the same mistakes, giving up too many free passes and drives. The spacing also worsened: the lane was too clogged for a pass inside, and the wings were unable to get a clean shot off.
Glendale scored two more goals before the end of the game, which resulted in a tough 12-10 loss for the Brahmas.
The first league game for the team will be tomorrow at Montclair followed by a game against Chino on October 2nd.
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