Huskies find the net in 19-2 win over rivals
LOS ANGELES, CA — Throw out records and stats when water polo crosstown rivals East Los Angeles and Los Angeles Trade Tech colleges meet.
Not deterred by the game starting late, the ELAC Huskies used an organized designed attack plan from all over the pool and netted goals from 2-meters to a long 14-meters.
In the process, the Huskies scored a 19-2 South Coast Conference win against the Lady Techsters in front of a big crowd at the Santee Education Complex.
ELAC fixed its slow start by scoring 15 unanswered goals in the first half.
Freshman Caitlyn Woo (Mark Keppel High School) scored four goals for the second time this season and led all scorers.
The game began with strong defense for both teams. Both teams closed lanes in the first half of the first quarter when neither scored.
ELAC scored its first three goals from three Huskies—freshman Allyson Jimenez (Montebello High School), sophomore Jessenia Barberena (Mark Keppel HS) and Amy Cervantes (Montebello HS).
A steal from Cervantes set up the next Husky goal. ELAC went up 4-0 when Barberena pounced a goal from an assist by Cervantes with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Barberena scored her third goal of the game 52 seconds later.
The Huskies connected a goal with seven seconds left in the quarter from Jimenez who scored in traffic assisted by sophomore Sophia Gonzalez (Harvard-Westlake HS).
The Huskies outscored their rivals 9-0 in the second quarter of which Cervantes scored the first goal from an assist by Gonzalez.
The next two Husky goals were from penalty shots a few seconds apart. Both goals were skips from Cervantes and Gonzalez.
The teams traded exclusions to the benefit of ELAC. After Trade Tech’s Audree Baldizon got an exclusion, Jimenez found the net (assist Gonzalez) and ELAC led 10-0.
Barberena received an exclusion. Trade Tech couldn’t take advantage of being a man up because an offsides call nullified their goal.
Gonzalez punched in a shot from two-meters with 4:45 remaining in the half.
Woo (assist Jimenez) scored with 3:29 left in the half and upped the Husky lead to 12-0.
ELAC’s next shot was a beautiful play. Gonzales grabbed a loose ball and tossed it perfectly over the Trade Tech goalkeeper.
The Huskies took four more shot attempts with the latter a 14-meter shot from Woo, which caught the Trade Tech goalkeeper off guard.
With seconds remaining in the half, Cervantes got a steal and threw a 15-meter pass. Melendrez scored with eight second left and ELAC led 15-0 at the half.
ELAC outscored Trade Teach 3-1 in the third period, with the Huskies taking the first goal. Melendrez scored, assisted by Jimenez.
Melendrez had a quick response to a lofty pass from Jimenez up the middle for that goal.
Trade Tech scored its first goal, a hard shot from Genesis Carballo with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter. ELAC led 16-1.
ELAC’s final two goals of the quarter were both from Woo with an assist from Gonzalez and Cervantes, respectively.
In the final quarter, freshman Michelea Esparza (Alliance Morgan McKinzie HS) scored her first goal of the season (assist Jimenez) from 6-meters, to the loud reaction from the Huskies. The play began with a Husky steal.
The Lady Techsters got the final goal of the game from Carballo, a penalty shot.
ELAC freshman goalkeeper Alejandra Gazpar (Maywood HS) did an amazing job at the net with seven saves, which she did for the second time this season.
Gonzalez scored three goals and leads the Huskies with 25 this season, sixth-best in the state.
ELAC’s next game is in 12 days, a SCC game at Cerritos College on Monday, Oct. 2 beginning at 3 p.m.
Cerritos is 3-0 in SCC play. ELAC (1-2) can pull even with a win.
Follow ELAC Athletics at http://athletics.elac.edu/landing/index and ELAC Huskies Athletics on Facebook.
story submitted by Tadzio Garcia