Boys' water polo defeats rival El Segundo on Oct. 17

Adrianna DinolfoSports EditorThe Greenies met their match on Wednesday, Oct. 17 when the boys' water polo team played El Segundo High School, its longtime rival and competitor in Ocean League. Though the game ended with an ultimate victory of 14-10, the boys needed to maintain the same momentum that they started the game with in order to ensure a win.The first period was marked by a close score of 4-2. Though the boys started off on defense, their first offensive possession was a success when junior Matthew Cianfrone scored within the first minute."I think that Matt's first goal was the highlight," coach Matthew Flanders said. "[It was] very athletic and powerful, and set the tone for the rest of the game."In addition, the boys capatalized on three six-on-five opportunities, a situation in which one player on the opposing team is kicked out for 20 seconds, in the first period alone."Man-up advantages are important because they force the defense to cover two people at once, so someone on our team is always open," junior Jackson Hauty said.The second period, perhaps the best period of the game, ended with a score of 7-2. After senior Kairo Dilla won the sprint, the Greenies were able to maintain a shut-out. In addition to keeping El Segundo from scoring for the duration of the quarter, the boys solidified another four goals."We have increased the intensity of our offense and picked up the tempo so that the momentum shifts in our favor," Cianfrone said.For the last two periods, Samo's defense lacked its initial energy. Although the Greenies continued to score consistently, they also let in more of El Segundo's shots, ending the score at 14-10."We played better in the first half," Hauty said. "We were playing as a team and were aware on defense. In the fourth quarter we let down our defense, and they [El Segundo] scored three goals in a row."Despite this minor setback, the boys are happy with this victory and look forward to possibly competing in the California Interscholastic Federation [CIF] competition, which begins in just a couple of weeks."This was only one of the eight most important games because all league games are significant," Flanders said. "We want a league championship and to qualify for CIF."adinolfo@thesamohi.com