Make no mistake about it, the Wilcox varsity water polo squad did not want to make any excuses for what was a disappointing 15-5 loss to league rival Palo Alto on Tuesday. That said, the Chargers were most definitely battling tough circumstances in the team’s season series finale with the Vikings.
With the Santa Clara district having Monday off, the Chargers did not practice ahead of the pivotal rematch. Wilcox previously had lost to the Vikings by the slimmest of margins, 11-10, back in September. That game was in the team’s home pool back in Santa Clara and this time around Palo Alto took advantage of its larger home pool and got the benefit of a home whistle in the rematch.
“We can only control what we can control; the refs are a part of the game,” remarked Chargers long-time Assistant Coach Marisa Lipari when asked about the lopsided amount of exclusions called on her squad in the loss. “Every game is different and we have to control how we play and how we keep our composure. We have to focus on how we can attack things on offense and adjust to the referees calls.”
“It’s definitely hard not to get down on yourself in those situations,” acknowledged Chargers goalkeeper Piper MacMahon, who, despite conceding double-digit goals, also made multiple impressive saves in one-on-one situations. “It’s hard to play the game the way you know you should when situations like that arise.”
Wilcox jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with a goal from senior Allison Gardner just 40 seconds in, but the offense struggled to get anything else going in the first half. The Vikings quickly adjusted to take Gardner’s hole-set position away in front of the cage. Palo Alto would carry a 6-1 lead into halftime.
To start the third quarter, it looked like a tactical change might help get the Chargers back in the game. Gardner dropped back on the opening possession and hit freshman Leah Brown with a pass late in the shot clock. Brown quickly turned and fired a lofted shot from distance perfectly over the goalie’s outstretched arm and underneath the crossbar to pull the Chargers within 6-2.
“I have been playing set for a pretty long time, so I kind of have an idea of what I have to do ahead of time,” chimed Brown on the well-executed goal coming out of halftime. “A lot of the time, though, I turn and use my instincts, whatever I think is best in that situation. This time it was a loft shot that was the best choice.”
Unfortunately for Wilcox and the team’s supporters, the 6-2 goal would be as close as the Chargers would get the rest of the way. Wilcox did get a second goal from Brown along with strikes from Elise Bignell and Summer Danis late in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers still hold a solid 7-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in league. Wilcox will look to rebound and finish on a high note with three more games left in the season.
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