Burroughs Girls Water Polo Slides Past Pasadena, 16-2

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By Rick Assad

 

It seems whenever Aleah Orozco puts her mind to scoring goals, she usually succeeds and on some occasions, in a very big way.

On Tuesday afternoon in a Pacific League girls’ water polo match versus visiting Pasadena, Orozco knocked in a match-high 10 goals during a 16-2 triumph as a steady rain pelted the athletes, who seemed oblivious to the extra water.

Amy Berberyan scored a goal and had an assist for the Indians in a win over the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Orozco scored three goals in the first quarter and two in the second period.

A three-goal effort followed for Orozco in the third quarter and two goals in the fourth frame.

“It’s a league game. Every game counts. It’s another game for our record,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “It’s a good confidence booster. I thought we played well overall. We played together.”

The Indians (6-7 and 3-1 in league), who own a two-match winning streak after losing at home to Crescenta Valley 9-6 on Jan. 8, bolted out of the starting gate and scored the first three goals before the Bulldogs (3-10 and 1-4 in league) answered.

Burroughs tacked on two more tallies for a 5-1 lead heading to the second quarter. Orozco’s six-footer with an assist from Amy Berberyan and 6:44 left made it 1-0.

With 4:33 left, Orozco’s five-meter penalty shot pushed the Indians ahead 2-0.

The Indians led 5-1 after the first quarter, 9-1 at the half and 12-2 after the third period. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Jaelynn Bijasa’s 12-foot tally with an assist from Orozco and 3:40 remaining extended the Indians’ cushion to 3-0.

Pasadena’s Nicole Wallius ended the run after scoring on a six-footer with an assist from Gillian Anderton and 3:10 showing that shaved the lead to 3-1.

“That’s one component of the team that you have to always encourage,” Pasadena coach Sean Phillips said of never giving up.

Phillips then added: “We definitely have a lot of the can-do attitude even though we’re down. We’ve gotta try hard. That’s the best way to get experience. We look at some of these games as building experience. Playing against good players. You can grow as individuals and as a team,” he said.

Camila Panozo’s 10-footer with an assist from goalie Emanuella Nathan, who had a least a dozen saves and 2:25 on ticker, made it 4-1 and the advantage swelled to 5-1 on a point-blank tally from Orozco with 2:06 left.

When Bijasa located the back of the net from 12 feet with assistance from Orozco and 3:59 showing in the second quarter, the Indians marched ahead 6-1.

Orozco’s 10-footer with 3:11 left before the half made it 7-1 and Berberyan’s 16-footer with an assist from Kathryn Vlick pushed Burroughs’ margin to 8-1.

Orozco’s nifty eight-foot backhander with 1:35 showing in the second period saw the Indians slide ahead 9-1.

Burroughs received two consecutive goals from Orozco to begin the third period and included a 10-footer with an assist from Vlick and 5:53 left that made it 10-1 and Orozco’s 12-footer with Vlick’s help and 4:45 left that made it a 10-goal lead.

Pasadena responded with a tally from Amanda Garcia and an assist from Erin Coad and 3:57 left in the third period that sliced the lead to 11-2.

Orozco’s goal with help from Nathan and four seconds remaining on the clock handed the Indians a 12-2 margin heading to the fourth period.

Orozco’s 10-footer with an assist from Vlick and 5:17 left made it 13-2 and Megan Sawyer’s 10-footer with 3:59 on the ticker pushed it to 14-2.

Vlick’s six-footer and an assist from Orozco with 2:24 showing made it 15-2, and fittingly, Orozco closed out the scoring with a six-footer and an assist from Isabel Rosado that made it a 14-goal deficit.