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Burbank Girls Water Polo Starts Fast, Wins 11-9 Over Glendale

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By Rick Assad

 

Taking a few weeks off for Christmas vacation was both good and bad for the Burbank High girls’ water polo team.

It was a plus because several players were injured or sick which allowed them to heal and get well.

On the negative side, there could also be rust because of inactivity, but when the Bulldogs faced visiting Glendale on Tuesday afternoon, the team came out and scored five goals in the opening quarter en route to an 11-9 Pacific League win.

“I was nervous just because I knew last year we lost to them by a couple,” Burbank interim coach Zack Card said. “They came out really strong. A lot of our games we came out really beat. Not really focused. They were ball-watching.”

Sera Shahbazian scored three goals for Burbank in an 11-9 win over Glendale. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank (4-6 and 1-1 in league) never trailed and led by senior Michelle Morlock’s five goals, including two in the initial frame.

“It’s important that you keep playing your hardest,” Morlock said. “Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and they did it. And that’s important. You need to be where you’re supposed to be and work as hard as everyone else.”

Morlock’s shot from point-blank range with 6:49 left in the first quarter made it 1-0 and Morlock’s close-range bullet with 3:55 left in the same frame extended the advantage to 3-0.

Morlock’s three-footer with 2:14 remaining on the ticker in the second period gave the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead.

“That’s something we’ve been practicing,” Morlock said of the team’s shot selection. “Knowing where to shoot and when to shoot. It’s about everyone driving and moving and getting to where they need to be.”

Morlock’s tally with 2:52 on the clock in the third period saw the Bulldogs, who finished tied for fifth place in league last season and didn’t make the CIF Southern Section playoffs, march ahead 8-5.

Another close-range shot attempt by Morlock with 6:42 left in the contest pushed Burbank’s lead to 10-5.

Sera Shahbazian notched three goals for the Bulldogs, including two in the opening frame that made it 2-0 on a five-footer with 5:22 left and another from five feet with less than second left for a 5-2 margin.

Shahbazian’s six-footer with 5:40 on the ticker in the fourth quarter then pushed Burbank’s lead to 11-5.

Sophia Brice’s goal from eight feet with 59 seconds left in the first frame made it 4-1 and Brice’s tally on a six-foot loft with 2:13 remaining handed the Bulldogs a 9-5 edge.

Patil Minassian’s eight-footer with 5:48 left in the second period catapulted the Bulldogs in front 6-3.

Senior Emma Mueller finished with five goals for the Nitros (3-6 and 1-2 in league) and had three consecutive scores in the fourth quarter.

Mueller’s eight-footer with 3:39 left sliced Burbank’s lead to 11-6, a six-footer with 1:32 lowered it to 11-7 and a five-footer with 50 seconds cut it to 11-8.

“In terms of development, I feel like our six on fives are definitely getting better,” Glendale coach Jazzmyne Urquiza said. “What we tend to do as a team is that we’re a second-half team. We do not play well in the first half and then we come back in the second half and sometimes it’s just not enough.”

Junior Bernica Doronila tacked on two goals for the Nitros and they came with 6:16 left in the second quarter, a five-footer that cut it to 5-3, and a tally with 29 seconds left the fourth quarter that drew Glendale to within 11-9.

Junior Jamie Fritz also chipped in with two goals and were knocked home in the first quarter on a 10-footer with 3:24 left that shaved Burbank’s edge to 3-1 and in the third period on a point-blank shot with 5:27 left as the Nitros came within 7-4.

Burbank’s Suzy Misiryan was the goaltender for three quarters and replaced by Jenny Stepanian in the fourth period.

Burroughs, Burbank Girls Water Polo Eye CIF Playoffs

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By Rick Assad

 

Sometimes goals are realized and sometimes they’re not. In the case of the Burroughs High and Burbank girls’ water polo teams, their objective is fairly simple and it’s to qualify for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Each team is fairly young, and both have skilled players, so reaching the postseason is a reality. The Bulldogs and Indians will meet on Jan. 23 at Burroughs.

Junior goalie Emmanuella Nathan will be a key for Burroughs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians, who were 12-6 last season and 6-2 in the Pacific League for second place, will be led offensively by senior Aleah Orozco and junior goalie Emanuella Nathan.

Coach Jacob Cook is very optimistic about the team after reaching the quarterfinals a season ago.

“I’m looking forward to growing the team and improving as much as possible over the season,” Cook said. “The team is young in experience, but they are hard workers and eager to improve. I don’t know how the rest of the league is looking, but we are looking to progress as far as we can.”

Burbank has six quality players who can score at any moment. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The team consists of 15 players including 11 seniors and they are Amy Berberyan, Leann Bermudez, Samantha Leano, Megan Sawyer, Brianna Meneses, Bianey Mendoza, Jaelynn Bijasa, Kathryn Vlick, Isabel Rosado and Camila Panozo.

There are four juniors on the squad and they include Madeline Lingad, Chloe Caneday and Mallory Thomas.

The Indians have played a few matches including a 5-4 win over Clairemont of San Diego in which Orozco had a match-best four goals and Berberyan the game-winner, while Nathan finished with 24 saves.

The Bulldogs, who were 7-13 last season, are also quite tender, but eager to learn and are getting better with time, according to interim coach Zack Card, who is filling in for Allyson Young, who gave birth to a bouncing baby girl a few months ago.

The Indians are coming off a season in which they went to the CIF Southern Section playoffs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

There are 11 players on the team, with six players standing out according to Card.

There are three seniors and they are Patil Minassian, Camila Salas and Michelle Morlock.

“Patil is a very experienced player,” Card said. “She’s a four-year player. Incredible leadership in and out of the pool. A strong two-meter defender and a strong ball handler.”

Card spoke about Salas in glowing terms.

“She’s another four-year athlete. A strong swimmer and great on the counter attack,” Card noted.

The Bulldogs are gunning to finish high in the Pacific League. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Card then addressed Morlock.

“She’s an incredibly gifted athlete,” he pointed out. “A strong swimmer. Her mental awareness. Her water polo IQ. It’s a gift, really. She never gives up and never makes any excuses.”

The other three standout performers are juniors, Sophia Brice, Michelle Morozian and Sera Shahbazian.

Card also praised Brice. “Sophia is a strong counter-attack player with strong fundamentals,” he said.

Card also likes Shahbazian. “She’s just relentless on defense. Always working away from the ball, helping her teammates,” he said.

Card spoke about Morozian and what she brings to the table. “Her ability to play defense is incredible,” he said.

The rest of the squad consists of juniors Angie Chavez, Grace Tomasek, Anasheh Abedian, Gabby Aghajanyan and Ashley Karazi.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Slips Past Clairemont

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By Rick Assad

 

If defense truly wins championships, and it does, then the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team should be fine.

On an afternoon in which the Indians claimed their first win of the season on Tuesday over visiting Clairemont 5-4, in a nonleague match, it was in dramatic fashion.

Clinging to a one-goal lead, Emanuella Nathan blocked two close-range shots in the span of 10 seconds in the waning moments and saved the day.

“I’m very like dialed in,” said Nathan, a junior goalie who had 24 saves. “I’m trying to direct the defense. So that’s my job. I try to look at the ball and look around and to just keep an eye on things. If I see someone open. I’m the chess player.”

Junior goalie Emanuella Nathan had a day to remember after saving 24 shots in a 5-4 win. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Nathan talked about how see approaches her position and what she does when the offensive player is in front of her.

“I look at the ball,” she noted. “They throw me off with their eyes. And I go for it.”

Nathan said that this is one of her strongest efforts. “This is probably one of my best out of his high school so far,” she said. “I had a really good one last year. Definitely one of my best this year.”

The effort did not escape Burroughs coach Jacob Cook. “Emma had a huge game. She was a major help on defense,” he said. “She saved us for sure.”

Cook liked the entire team effort, but a couple stood out. “Aleah [Orozco] had a big game and Amy [Berberyan] had the goal that put us up,” he pointed out.

When it comes to scoring, this is Orozco’s specialty, as the senior knocked home a match-best four.

It was a low-scoring affair between host Burroughs and Clairemont on Tuesday. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

But what turned out to be the game-winner was a 20-foot rainbow with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter turned in by Berberyan that made it 5-4.

The scoring began with 5:46 left in the second quarter when Orozco dropped in a tally for a 1-0 lead.

“I think honestly we became more intense during the last quarter because we thought that it was going to be such a close game,” Orozco said.

The lead stretched to 2-0 on Orozco’s 14-footer with 4:11 on the clock in the second quarter.

“We had a lot of doubt in the beginning considering this is a team from San Diego,” Orozco said. “I guess we came in just giving it our all. Emma brought our team together. She was amazing.”

The Indians picked up their first win of the season behind great defense. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Orozco’s five-meter penalty shot and 1:39 left in the second period lifted the Indians (1-2) to a 3-0 lead.

The edge expanded to 4-1 with 6:37 left in the third frame as Orozco’s 10-footer found the back of the net.

The Chieftans (0-1) sliced the lead to 3-1 when Ella Denny’s close-range attempt found the goal with 1:02 left in the second period.

Clairemont inched closer at 4-2 when Denny’s six-footer found the range as 5:46 remained in the third quarter.

“We put 45 shots on the goal,” Clairemont coach Joey Kienle said. “That goalie was the MVP today. It’s a young team and they’re still learning the game. They’re still learning how to score.”

Denny’s tally from six feet and 5:17 on the clock sliced the lead to 4-3 and Ashlynn Sauerwein’s point-blank attempt with 2:51 left evened it at 4-4.

“We just gotta work on our offense. Our defense was great today. It’s early in the season. That’s why we came here,” Kienle said.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Struggles Against Marymount, Loses 10-4

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By Rick Assad

 

A severe and early deficit faced the Burbank High girls’ water polo team on Monday afternoon at the Burroughs swimming pool.

Like a dragster taking off and then racing down the runway, the Sailors seized control in the first quarter, added to the lead in the second frame and took home a 10-4 decision in a nonleague match.

“That’s something we’re trying to work on this year, is coming out with intensity every quarter,” Marymount coach Nicholas Amstutz said. “We have four mini-games, so we have a fresh start.”

The Bulldogs couldn’t keep up with the Sailors and fell 10-4 in a nonleague match. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Toni Ashby paced Marymount offensively with four goals including three goals in the second period as the Sailors pulled ahead 9-0 at halftime.

Lizzy Reilly had three scores for the Sailors (3-1), knocking in two goals in the second frame.

“We only have three seniors on this team,” Amstutz said of his young squad that led 3-0 after the first quarter. “We have a lot of young talent. We like the three leaders for sure. The three seniors we have are our captains. They’ve been stepping up a lot.”

The Bulldogs (1-1) weren’t about to throw in the towel and rallied for three goals in the third quarter to slice the lead to 9-3.

Burbank struggled in the first half, but came on strong in the second half against Marymount. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Sera Shahbazian’s tally from eight feet and 3:41 on the clock reduced the deficit to 9-1.

When Michelle Morlock knocked home a winner from close range and 2:13 left on the ticker, Burbank came within 9-2.

It became 9-3 with 1:05 left on the buzzer on Sophia Brice’s five-foot tally.

Shahbazian’s five-footer with 42 seconds remaining in the match trimmed Marymount’s lead to 10-4.

Ashby’s blast from eight feet and 1:13 remaining on the clock in the opening quarter made it 3-0 in favor of Marymount.

When Ashby located the back of the net from 10 feet and 4:26 showing in the second frame, the Sailors glided ahead 7-0 and with 3:20 on the buzzer, Ashby’s 15-footer made it 8-0.

An eight-footer by Ashby with 1:42 showing in the second period supplied the Sailors with a 9-0 advantage.

Reilly’s six-footer with 6:17 on the clock in the second stanza handed Marymount a 5-0 cushion and an eight-footer by Reilly with 5:32 left before the intermission pushed the advantage to 6-0.

After Reilly’s point-blank shot with 3:43 left on the clock in the contest, the Sailors scooted ahead 10-3.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Reaches CIF Division VI Quarterfinals

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By Rick Assad

 

A pound of confidence has gone a really long way for the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team.

It seems after falling to perennial power Crescenta Valley 8-6 on Feb. 8 in the Pacific League championship, this has empowered the Indians to reach the CIF Southern Section Division VI quarterfinals after sideswiping visiting Walnut 13-5 in the second round on Thursday afternoon.

Gwendolyn Turla scored two goals and added four steals in a CIF Southern Section second-round win over Walnut. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“That game versus CV just showed the girls that we are a force to be reckoned with,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “It’s really cool to see their confidence. This is the most confident they’ve been all season. They’re taking it to the next level.”

Behind the overall play of junior utility Aleah Orozco, who had a match-high five goals with four steals and junior attacker Brianna Meneses with three goals, the Indians (12-5) will now play Tustin on Saturday.

“I think honestly, because CV has been a really big rival of ours since forever, that we’ve always come after them and I really think that we came so close to them and that made us more confident,” Orozco said.

Junior Isabella Erickson and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan, the backup, were both outstanding in Thursday’s rout of the Mustangs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Orozco added: “The confidence somehow turned a lightbulb in our head and caused our offense and defense to get better.”

Senior utility Gwendolyn Turla (four steals) along with senior attacker Bianca Sanchez each dropped in two goals while senior attacker Cameron Flores added one goal.

“Nice balance of having a very good defense and then having scorers all around,” Cook said. “Our defense played a really tight press. They were playing in their face. They’re really confident.”

Burroughs, which lost to Crescenta Valley 11-6 in its first league encounter on Jan. 9, sprinted ahead 3-2 in the first quarter.

Turla’s eight-footer with an assist from junior goalie Isabella Erickson made it 1-0 with 6:01 left on the clock.

Orozco’s 12-footer with an assist from Turla evened it at 2-2 with 3:25 left in the period.

The Indians were sharp-shooters against Walnut, which lost 13-5 on Thursday. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

When Flores found the back of the net on a 10-foot dart with Turla’s assist and 1:34 remaining, the Indians waltzed ahead 3-2.

Burroughs pulled in front 6-3 at halftime after Sanchez unloaded an eight-footer on an assist from Flores with 6:40 on the ticker that made it 4-2.

The Indians’ advantage swelled to 5-2 with 2:33 left in the second period on Turla’s 12-footer with an assist from sophomore goalie Emmanuella Nathan.

When Orozco scored on a five-foot blast with help from Sanchez and five seconds left, the lead ballooned to 6-3.

Sanchez scored on an eight-foot dagger with Turla’s assist that pushed the margin to 7-3 with 6:48 left in the third quarter.

Orozco scored from eight feet with 5:11 on the clock to make it 8-3 and Orozco then added a 10-footer with 4:32 left that made it 9-3 heading into the fourth period.

A tally by Orozco from five feet supplied the Indians a 11-3 edge with 5:51 showing.

Meneses then scored three goals in the fourth period that included a 12-footer with 6:37 left for a 10-3 lead, a 12-footer on an assist from junior attacker Isabel Rosado with 3:18 remaining for a 12-4 edge and an eight-footer on another assist from Rosado with 2:32 left that made it 13-4.

Senior Kaitlin Garrett knocked in three goals for the Mustangs (13-13) and junior Paris Alvarado chipped in with two.

Garrett’s 10-footer with 4:03 left evened it at 1-1 in the initial frame and Garrett’s 10-footer gave Walnut a 2-1 lead with 3:42 left heading into the second quarter.

Garrett’s eight-footer with an assist from Alvarado and 1:24 left before the half cut the Indians’ lead to 5-3.

Alvarado’s five-meter penalty shot with 5:36 left in the match shaved the advantage to 11-4 and Alvarado’s six-footer with 54 seconds showing made it 13-5.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Pounds Visiting Nipomo 14-3

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By Rick Assad

For the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team on Tuesday night, it was all about in-your-face defense.

So overwhelming and sure was this applied to visiting Nipomo during a CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round playoff game, it helped the Indians prevail 14-3.

The Indians (11-5 and 6-2 for second place in the Pacific League) will now host Walnut on Thursday at 5 p.m. in a second-round encounter.

“I was confident in my girls after the way they played against CV last week,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “I was confident in their skill. Confident in their ability and they came out and showed that today.”

Four players scored for Burroughs, which snapped a six-game playoff losing streak, as senior utility Gwendolyn Turla and senior attacker Cameron Flores each tallied four goals.

Junior Amy Berberyan is about to take a shot against Nipomo’s Katrina Snyder in a CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round playoff match. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“Overall it was a good team effort,” said Turla of the defensive that at times prevented the Titans from even getting off a shot. “Both offense and defense. It really motivates us to try harder.”

The initial goal came with 5:30 left in the first quarter when Turla, with an assist from junior utility Aleah Orozco, unloaded a six-footer.

When Flores dented the back of the net from eight feet and 3:32 remaining in the opening frame, the Indians’ lead became 2-1.

With 57 seconds left in the same stanza, Flores tossed in an eight-footer that made it 3-1.

Burroughs’ first-quarter barrage was capped off with an eight-footer and 21 seconds left from senior setter Bianca Sanchez with an assist from Orozco.

Sanchez’s goal from five feet with 6:16 showing in the second quarter made it 5-1 and with 4:23 left on the clock before halftime, Orozco’s 12-footer with an assist from Turla pushed the lead to 6-1.

For Burroughs, it was all about defense when it faced the visiting Titans, which fell 14-3 on Tuesday. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Turla’s goal from eight feet with an assist from Flores made it 7-1 with 3:48 left in the second period.

Twenty-five seconds later, an eight-foot bullet from Sanchez with help from Orozco made it 8-1 and forced Nipomo (13-8 nd 7-2 for third place in the Los Padres League) to ask for time out.

“They were keeping the press tight,” Cook said of his overwhelming defense. “They were going from steals right off the passes from the goalie. They were playing really well and really on top of it.”

Cook also liked that multiple players found the back of the net. “Really balanced scoring,” he said. “That’s always good. We have threats everywhere.”

Burroughs then glided in front 9-1 after Orozco, with an assist from Sanchez, launched an eight-foot dart and 2:07 left before the break.

The Indians’ lead became 10-1 on a 10-foot laser by Orozco with 1:32 left as Turla added an assist.

Burroughs ended the opening half with a 12-footer from Flores that pushed the lead to 11-2 as Orozco tossed in an assist.

The only goal that the Indians scored in the third quarter came with 2:04 left when Flores found the back of the net for a 12-2 cushion.

Turla added a pair of goals in the fourth quarter and they came with 2:31 showing from eight feet that made it 13-2 and a 10-footer with 21 seconds on the clock for a 14-3 edge.

Junior Isabella Erickson and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan were both stellar in goal for the Indians.

For the visiting Titans, Carly Billinger showed the way after tallying two goals with an assist.

Billinger’s goal from 10 feet with 4:26 left in the first quarter evened it at 1-1 and her tally from five feet with 34 seconds left in the match trimmed Burroughs’ lead to 14-3.

Billinger’s assist with 1:10 remaining in the opening half sliced the Indians’ advantage to 10-2.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Fends Off Stubborn Burbank 12-5

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By Rick Assad

 

A better and more efficient start would have been preferred by the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team when it faced host Burbank.

With 5:40 left in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Pacific League match, it was tied after the Bulldogs scored, but the Indians then rattled off four consecutive tallies that included an 8-1 run and collected a 12-5 victory.

“We made some adjustments here and there,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “We shut them down from there. It was a good game overall today.”

Burroughs (6-4 and 2-1 in league) held Burbank (4-7 and 0-3 in league) to one goal in the third quarter and none in the fourth period.

Burbank, shown warming up in a recent match, played visiting Burroughs tough early, but fell 12-5. (Photo by Rick Assad)

With 4:10 on the clock in the second period, Burroughs senior utility Gwendolyn Turla scored on an eight-footer that made it 5-4 and with 3:29 remaining the lead swelled to 6-4 on a goal by junior utility Aleah Orozco from close range.

“I think we came in a little bit, maybe overconfident,” Orozco said, “and then we came to the realization that Burbank is a tough team and we need to get it together in order to play against our rival school and I think once that happened and we got in the right mental state, then things started to go our way.”

Orozco said she noticed early that the Bulldogs were aggressive. “I feel like in any type of sport, once it becomes more intense, you try to be more aggressive and they became a lot more aggressive,” she noted, “but we became back equally aggressive.”

The Indians’ lead became 7-4 when Turla scored on a five-footer and with nine seconds left before halftime, a 25-foot floater from senior attacker Cameron Flores pushed the margin to 8-4.

Gwendolyn Turla, with the ball, scored a match-best five goals for the Indians in a Pacific League win over the host Bulldogs. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

A goal from 10 feet by Burbank senior utility Lexi Lyneis evened it at 4-4 in the second quarter.

Lyneis collected her initial goal with 1:59 left in the first quarter on a 20-footer that tied it at 3-3.

“We just made a few mistakes that they capitalized on,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said. “We were making mistakes and too close together and they were making the steals.”

It took a while before a goal was scored in the third quarter as Turla found the back of the net on an eight-foot penalty shot that made it 9-4 as 3:19 remained.

With 1:15 left in the same frame it became 10-4 on a five-footer by senior setter Bianca Sanchez, but Burbank, which committed 19 turnovers, sliced it to 10-5 on senior driver Sune Aghakian’s 10-footer with 1:01 left.

In the fourth period it was all Burroughs which pulled ahead 11-5 with 3:52 left on a tally from three-feet by junior attacker Samantha Leano.

Thirty-eight seconds later a goal from five-feet by Sanchez shoved the Indians ahead 12-5.

The Bulldogs marched in front 1-0 on junior utility Patil Minassian’s three-footer with 5:58 showing, but twenty seconds later it was deadlocked at 1-1 on Turla’s 10-footer.

Sanchez’s short-range rocket with 4:56 left made it 2-1, however, the Bulldogs evened it at 2-2 on junior driver Michelle Morlock’s point-blank bullet and 4:06 on the clock.

Turla’s nine-footer with 2:12 left gave the Indians a 3-2 edge and Sanchez’s eight-footer with 1:05 on the ticker capped the period as the Indians led 4-3 heading into the second period.

Burbank junior goalie Suzie Misiryan and Burroughs’ junior goalie Isabella Erickson and sophomore net keeper Emmanuella Nathan all played well.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Loses 13-7 To Pasadena

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By Rick Assad

 

Similar overall records promised a fairly close and competitive Pacific League girls’ water polo match on Tuesday when Burbank High hosted Pasadena.

Despite failing to score in the first quarter, Burbank rallied in the third period and came within three goals late in the frame, and one goal early in the fourth period, but ultimately fell 13-7 in the league opener.

Burbank Coach Allyson Young likes how her team played in the third quarter. (Photo by Rick Assad)

Three players scored for Burbank (4-5 and 0-1 in league) with senior utility Lexi Lyneis and senior driver Sune Aghakian each knocking in three goals and junior driver Michelle Morlock adding one.

“If we would have had a better start and worked together and not put so much pressure on each other, would have made safer passes and protected the ball, it would have been a lot closer in the beginning,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said.

Young then added: “The third quarter they played great, but then the fourth quarter they all fell apart again. So what we need to do is expand that third quarter to all of our quarters,” she said.

Burbank outscored Pasadena 4-2 in the third quarter and a tally from 10 feet by Lyneis and 2:51 left cut Pasadena’s edge to 9-4.

A 15-foot blast by Lyneis with 2:04 remaining shaved it to 9-5 and her five-footer with 1:09 on the clock made it 9-6.

Morlock’s eight-foot dart with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter shaved Pasadena’s lead to 9-7.

Aghakian’s strike from five feet with 2:27 on the ticker in the second quarter sliced Pasadena’s advantage to 5-1 and Aghakian’s 15-footer with 11 seconds left before halftime saw Burbank move within 7-2.

Young liked what she saw in the third quarter and wants to see more of it. “They were communicating,” she said. “They were swimming down and driving. They were working together. They were playing as a team rather than a bunch of individuals.”

The Burbank girls’ water polo team warming up before Tuesday’s match with Pasadena. (Photo by Rick Assad)

Pasadena (4-6 and 1-0 in league) was led by senior Fernanda Alvarez with a match-best five goals, including two tallies in the first and second quarter.

Senior Shannon Brierty added three goals for the visitors, who led 3-0 after the first frame and 7-2 at the intermission.

“We did come out quick. We knew we had some fast swimmers that could do counter attack,” Pasadena coach Sean Phillips said. “Be pretty dangerous as far as offense goes. So we knew we’d get quick goals in the beginning, at least have the possibility.”

Phillips went on: “In the first half, I was really pleased with our girls. Pretty tenacious. But you got to hand it to Burbank for their resiliency. They had that comeback. It made me really nervous in the third quarter, especially.”

Pasadena scored two goals in the third frame with Brierty knocking one home from five-feet with 6:24 left that made it 8-2 and sophomore Nicole Wallius from five feet with 5:43 left for a 9-2 edge.

Pasadena pulled ahead 1-0 on senior Calypso Brenard’s goal from 10 feet and 5:01 left.

Alvarez scored back-to-back tallies including one with 1:30 left on a 10-foot backhander and a three-footer with 1:02 remaining that made it 3-0.

Pasadena increased its advantage to 5-0 in the second quarter on a 10-foot goal from senior Sara Winsky with 4:40 left and a 10-footer with 3:22 showing from Brierty.

Alvarez scored with 2:06 left from three-feet that made it 6-1 and then added another three-footer with 1:34 showing for a 7-1 edge.

Pasadena ended the fourth quarter by scoring four straight goals that included a tally from Brenard from six feet with 5:19 left that made it 10-7, Wallius locating the back of the net from five feet at 4:59 for a 11-7 cushion, Brierty drilling one from three feet and 3:19 left for a 12-7 margin and Alvarez’s bullet from five feet with 1:58 left for a 13-7 lead.

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Gets Revenge Over San Marino

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By Rick Assad

 

With five minutes and 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter and trailing by a goal, the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team shifted into another gear.

In so doing, the Indians finished with a flourish, tallying four straight goals and walked away with an 11-8 triumph over visiting San Marino in a nonleague clash Thursday afternoon.

Having lost to the Titans 10-9 in overtime in the Burbank Tournament, which was the Indians’ first game of the season, there may have been a little revenge on their minds.

“We already played them and that’s exactly how it went,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said of the two close matches. “They [Burroughs] got it together at the end which was good. They got the stops on defense and they played at the end how they should have played the whole game.”

Senior utility Gwendolyn Turla scored four goals for the Indians in an 11-8 nonleague win over San Marino. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

An eight-foot tally by Burroughs junior attacker Camila Panoza evened it at 8-8 with 4:56 left.

When senior setter Bianca Sanchez put one in from the same distance and 2:47 on the clock, the Indians (4-2) darted ahead 9-8.

Senior utility Gwendolyn Turla, who delivered a team-best 67 goals last season, then found the back of the net on a 12-footer with an assist from junior utility Aleah Orozco with 2:14 remaining to make it 10-8.

Turla’s 14-foot blast with 1:39 left that made it 11-8, forced the Titans (8-2), who placed second in the Burbank tourney and are ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Division VI, to ask for time out.

Sophomore goalie Emmanuella Nathan blocks a Titan shot. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

“They did beat us by one and we were shaken up by it because we were really upset,” said Turla, who finished with a co-team high four goals, of the earlier loss to San Marino. “Knowing that we could come back and beat them and have our team build up some stamina and more endurance really helped us beat them. Overall this team played really well and I’m really proud of them.”

When San Marino senior Annette Aledeffa uncorked a six-footer with 5:44 left in the fourth quarter, the Titans seized control 8-7.

The first quarter was knotted at 2-2 on Sanchez’s goal from eight feet with 4:48 left and Sanchez’s bullet with 16 seconds left tied it at 2-2.

San Marino’s goals were knocked in by freshman Isabella Lee from five feet with two minutes showing that evened it at 1-1 and junior Elizabeth Lee’s goal with 26 seconds remaining gave the Titans a 2-1 advantage.

Gwendolyn Turla (#14) and San Marino freshman Isabella Lee fight for position. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Indians outscored the Titans 3-2 in the second frame as Turla’s 10-footer  with 2:11 on the clock pulled the Indians in front 4-3 and Turla’s mid-pool rainbow with one second left supplied Burroughs with a 5-4 edge.

Senior attacker Cameron Flores had a 10-foot tally with 5:10 left in the second period that tied it at 3-3.

San Marino’s scoring in the second stanza fell on the shoulders of Isabella Lee and came with 6:03 left on a six-footer for a 3-2 cushion and a 15-footer with five seconds left on an assist from Aledeffa that leveled it at 4-4.

The Indians and Titans each scored two goals in the third period with Orozco knocking in a 10-footer with an assist from Sanchez that pushed the Indians in front 6-5 with 2:57 left and Sanchez drilling an eight-footer with 1:52 showing to make it 7-5 in favor of the Indians.

Aledeffa’s five-foot laser with 6:15 on the ticker in the fourth quarter tied it at 7-7 and San Marino senior Marika Brunochelli’s goal from eight feet with 1:13 on the clock in the third quarter shaved the lead to 7-6.

Junior Isabella Erickson and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan each saw significant time in goal for the Indians.

Burbank, Burroughs Girls Water Polo Have High Expectations

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By Rick Assad

Expectations are genuinely upbeat for the Burbank High and Burroughs girls’ water polo teams.

“I am very excited for our upcoming season,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “We have a lot of talented and experienced members returning who are well-rounded and play well together.”

Spearheading the Indians, who went 10-9 overall and 5-3 in the Pacific League with an opening-round setback in the CIF Southern Section playoffs a season ago, is senior utility Gwendolyn Turla.

Senior Gwendolyn Turla led the Indians in scoring with 67 goals. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

An offensive threat every time Turla had the ball in her hands, she tallied a team-high 67 goals and averaged 3.5 goals per game, with 22 steals and 12 assists.

Four seniors join Turla, who had 140 shots on goal, and they include attacker Cameron Flores, attacker Alice Martinez, setter Bianca Sanchez and attacker Andrea Silva.

Ten juniors will be asked to contribute offensively and play defense and they are attacker Amy Berberyan, attacker Leann Bermudez, attacker Samantha Leano, attacker Madeline Lingad, attacker Brianna Meneses, utility Aleah Orozco, attacker Camilla Panoza, attacker Isabel Rosado, attacker Katie Vlick, goalie Isabella Erickson, and Emmanuella Nathan, a sophomore, will play goalie.

The Indians are 0-1 this season after losing to San Marino 9-8 in the Burbank Tournament and will launch their league campaign on Jan. 9 when they host Crescenta Valley and will visit archrival Burbank on Jan. 16.

Burbank coach Allyson Young also thinks the Bulldogs will have a successful campaign.

Burroughs will face host Burbank on Jan. 16. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I expect to have a better season than last season because I have a lot of returners,” said Young, whose team went 6-18 overall and didn’t make the playoffs after finishing fifth in the league.

Young will have six returners and they include senior driver Sune Aghakian, who tossed in a team-best 49 goals and senior utility Lexi Lyneis, who had 38 tallies.

The others are senior driver Tara Goodwin, junior utility Patil Minassian, junior driver Camila Salas and junior driver Michelle Morlock.

Young said that she is counting on this group of veterans to help the other players who have less experience.

“I think they can be good leaders because they understand what it takes to play on the varsity level,” Young said.

The Bulldogs, who are 3-1 after defeating host La Salle 16-3, losing to host San Marino 6-5, then knocking off Louisville 9-7 and Torrance 8-3 in the Burbank Tournament, commence league play on Jan. 9 against Pasadena.

The remainder of the squad includes senior driver Valentina Abadjian, senior driver Angelica Perez, senior driver Melissa De La Cruz, junior goalie Suzie Misiryan, sophomore driver Sera Saahbazian, sophomore driver Sophia Brice and sophomore driver Michelle Mirzoyan.