By Rick Assad
Goals were being scored at more than a minute a clip in a Pacific League boys’ water polo match on Thursday afternoon at the Burroughs High pool.
Using an eight-goal second quarter and a five-goal third period, the Bears emerged with a 19-15 victory over Glendale.
Burroughs had three players who scored four goals or better and saw senior Ian Duffield lead the way with five tallies.
Four of Duffield’s goals came in the opening half when the Bears, who outshot the Nitros 19-13 over that stretch, pulled ahead 12-6.
Senior Logan Turla and Nicola Nasev each accounted for four goals for the Bears.
Turla nailed his goals in the opening half, and Nasev found the back of the net twice in the third period as the Bears (15-4 and 3-0 in league) took a 17-10 lead into the fourth period.
Glendale’s August Kalaba was the top-goal scorer in the match with seven tallies, three coming in the second period, while teammate Robert Lazaryan added four goals as he found the net twice in the third period that trimmed the lead to 17-9 with 2:50 left and 17-10 with one second left.
The Nitros (11-8 and 0-3 in league) made it close after outscoring the Bears 5-2 in the fourth frame as Kalaba accounted for three goals that sliced the lead to 17-11 with 6:31 left, 19-14 with 1:23 on the clock and 19-15 with twenty-six second remaining.
Duffield opened up the scoring with a breakaway from point blank range and 5:43 left for a 1-0 lead and Turla found the range from six feet with 4:51 on the clock for a 2-1 advantage.
Nicolas Oporta nailed a nine-footer with 1:02 on the clock for a 3-2 lead and Duffield’s 12-footer and twenty-one seconds later made it 4-2.
The Bears, who outshot the Nitros 33-32, scored five consecutive goals to begin the second period as Turla hit a five-footer with 6:53 left for a 5-2 lead.
Oporta drilled a six-footer with 5:58 left for a 6-2 edge and Nasev’s nine-footer with 4:58 on the clock increased the advantage to 7-2.
When senior Harrison Siegel found the net twenty-one seconds later from point-blank range, the lead became 8-2.
“The match was in our favor the entire time. We took control early and built up a strong lead,” Siegel said. “We showed great improvement in defense, and I don’t think the score truly represents the type of game we played.”
Siegel added: “Everyone got to play and it was a great time having multiple people score,” he noted. “A nice way to continue in the league.”
Duffield’s tally from seven feet and 3:51 on the clock made it 9-2 and with 3:36 remaining before halftime, the Bears moved in front 10-3 on Turla’s seven-foot toss.
The Bears tallied the first three goals in the third period and Nasev started the scoring when he hit a five-footer and 6:30 left for a 13-6 edge and then added a six-footer with 5:30 remaining for a 14-6 cushion.
Dean Yuzna’s five-meter penalty attempt with 4:48 left made it 15-6.
Serob Berberyan’s close shot with 3:29 on the ticker widened the advantage to 16-6 in favor of the Bears and Roan Kelly’s 10-meter penalty throw increased the lead to 17-8.
Duffield located the net with 3:01 left on a point-blank range shot for an 18-12 lead and Yuzna’s five-footer and 2:17 remaining made it a seven-goal margin.
