The varsity boys’ water polo team had an outstanding season heading into the Central Coast Section final. Prior to the game, the Lancers had a 22-7 record and were leading CCS. They are currently eleventh in the state and fourteenth across the nation. The Lancers ended up falling short to Sacred Heart Prep in a heartbreaking 10-9 loss, making them the runner-up in CCS. Regardless of how their CCS run ended, the team has many things to be proud of this season going into CIF playoffs.
Last year, the team had a 0.519 win percentage, which they improved to 0.733% this year. So far, they have scored 111 more goals than last year, leaving them with a total of 397. The Lancers finished third in WCAL as opposed to fourth last year. One strong suit for the team has been their offense. They averaged 13 goals per game, their highest-scoring game being 21 goals against Valley Christian. They went on a nine-game winning streak throughout September and October, where they beat four league teams. Another strength for the team is their ability to keep games close and stay strong until the last second. Most of their losses this season were only by one point, and the rest ended with them down by only a few points. The Lancers did an incredible job fighting to stay in games and avoided any blowout losses.
The Lancers’ success this season was cemented by their star sophomore goalkeeper, Ari Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld may be one of the youngest players on the team, but he is far from new to the game. His interest in water polo started when he was in second grade, and he has spent years working towards becoming the player he is now. Rosenfeld plays for Stanford Water Polo Club, where he practices six times a week to build his strength and improve his skills. His training is definitely to be thanked for his many accomplishments. After two seasons on varsity, he has been ranked a top-three goalie in WCAL, made second-team All-League, and led his team to sixth place at the Junior Olympics.
A successful team has both a strong offense and a strong defense. Thankfully for the Lancers, this team has both. With prolific scorers and a reliable goalie, the water polo team is ready to take on the Campolindo Cougars in the first round of CIF playoffs. The Lancers are ready for redemption after being knocked out of the quarterfinals last season. As their year comes down to the wire, every goal for and against the team becomes more important. With the threat of elimination constantly hanging over their heads, the question is: Can the Lancers battle until the very end and redeem themselves from last year?
