Parker Salomon
Staff Writer
Solid defense and high energy in the pool couldn’t keep Costa girls water polo afloat.
Mira Costa’s girls water polo lost, 9-7, in a home game against Redondo on Wednesday due to a lack of defense in the final quarter, according to junior goalie Katie Nitzberg.
“We made a few mistakes, and Redondo just took advantage of them,” coach Jon Reichardt said.
With the help of good communication and ball movement, the team took an early 3-1 lead in the first quarter. Senior utility Kaylee Brownsberger and senior attacker Saralyn Troeger scored Costa’s goals in the first quarter. During the second quarter, Nitzberg blocked four out of the five shots Redondo threw, and Costa had a 4-2 lead at halftime.
“We played to our level and shined in the second,” Nitzberg said. .
The third quarter ended, 4-4, with two quick goals by the Seahawks, but Costa fell behind in the fourth quarter. Costa’s energy began to slow and it struggled to stop Redondo’s attacks. By the end of the quarter, Redondo had taken the lead and beat Costa, 9-7.
“Once Redondo caught up, our energy and motivation went down,” Nitzberg said.
The Mustangs are 3-1 in Bay League and are 8-7 overall. The team’s next game is at the America’s Finest City invite tournament in San Diego this weekend.
“We are building momentum for the playoffs right now,” Reichardt said. “The team should do well in the tournament.”
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