On Nov. 7, Aragon’s girls water polo team fell 9-22 to the Palo Alto Vikings in the quarterfinals of Central Coast Section playoffs.
Prior to CCS playoffs, the team clinched a senior night home win against Woodside on Oct. 19 with a score of 9-8. Going into the match, the team expected a challenge.
“Woodside is a tough team [and] one of our closest competitors,” said senior co-captain Elizabeth Yuan. “We beat them in overtime in our last game, so we want to keep that momentum going … I’m expecting overtime again.”
Aragon remained focused on a clear game plan.
“Our goal was to play our game,” said head coach Rachel Downall. “We know that we are a strong, fast team and when we communicate well, we can be very successful.”
Although Aragon won the opening sprint for possession, Woodside built a quick 2-0 lead with an early goal and a rebounded penalty shot. Meanwhile, several of Aragon’s initial shots drifted wide.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was not getting to warm up because it was senior night,” said senior Kira Partridge. “That really affected our shooting percentages in the first quarter, so we [had to] adapt.”
With just 15 seconds left in the first quarter, junior co-captain Akira Snyder converted a penalty shot to put Aragon on the board.
“First quarter, we weren’t the first ones to score, but we kept our calm, kept our composure,” Downall said. “We never let off the gas, and that showed in the end result.”
Early in the second quarter, Woodside extended their lead to 3-1. However, Partridge quickly answered by scoring a rebound off junior Amara Garcia’s crossbar shot.
Not long after, Partridge passed to senior co-captain Emily Troy, who found the back of the net to tie up the score, 3-3.
“We had a lot of strong passes and assists throughout the game,” Partridge said. “We were always looking for the open player. If someone was really good at getting open, we would get the ball to them.”
After several back-and-forth goals from both teams caused the lead to change hands repeatedly, Aragon held off a late attack from Woodside to maintain a 5-5 tie at the end of the first half.
“We were tied for most of the game … it was just a really close game overall,” said junior co-captain Siena Chen. “But we were able to push through throughout the whole game and never give up.”
Play slowed at the start of the third quarter, and it took four minutes before Woodside opened the scoring with a long-range shot. That goal would prove to be their only one of the quarter.
“The third quarter was where we really stopped them from scoring,” Downall said. “It was where we continued to solidify that we [were] the dominant team.”
After two more goals from Aragon and several saves from junior goalkeeper Naomi Dulac, Aragon led 7-6.
Entering the final seven minutes of the match, the team came out ready to play as Garcia sent a long-range shot past the Woodside goalkeeper’s fingertips and into the net. Then, with just over five minutes remaining, Woodside called a timeout and capitalized immediately with a goal that cut Aragon’s lead to 8-7.
Aragon quickly countered as Partridge scored her second goal of the night, securing a two-point lead with only two minutes left on the clock.
“We [put] the right players in the specific positions that play to their strengths,” Chen said. “[Partridge] is a good shooter, so she stays at the top so she can shoot on the outside. We’ve gotten so much more cohesive … we’ve been able to communicate with each other better and make better plays throughout the season.”
Still, Woodside fought to the end, repeatedly attacking Aragon’s defense but scoring only once. With ten seconds left, Woodside launched one final attack, but Aragon blocked the shot as the final buzzer sounded to seal a 9-8 victory.
Looking forward, the team reflects on their prospects as they enter the postseason.
“Our main focus is trying to make [California Coastal Section playoffs] and place in the top three [of] the [Peninsula Athletic] League,” Partridge said. “We’re such a capable team, and we have great things going for us. If we keep the intensity up, we can go even farther.”
