The Gilroy High girls water polo team went up against
neighboring rival Live Oak for the fourth time this year
MORGAN HILL – The Gilroy High girls water polo team went up against neighboring rival Live Oak for the fourth time this year in Friday’s first game of the Live Oak Polo Fest.
The good news was that the Lady Mustangs scored the most goals ever against Live Oak this year with six. The bad news was that Live Oak scored 16 times to hand Gilroy a 16-6 loss.
The Lady Mustangs failed to register a win through three tournament games with Saturday losses to Salinas, 12-10, and Valley Christian, 11-6. Gilroy received strong efforts from senior captain Danell Dow (team-highs with 14 goals, five assists and five steals) as well as teammates Lauryn Rossi (four goals, one assist), Kim Spaulding (two goals), Roseanna Rosso (two goals, two assists, four steals).
Opening against the Lady Acorns on Friday, Dow scored an unassisted goal after four early Live Oak strikes. Trailing by three in the second quarter, the Lady Mustangs mounted a comeback with goals from Kim Spaulding and Dow on assists from Lauryn Rossi and Stacey Jensen, repectively. But Live Oak netted six second-quarter goals to go into the half with a 10-3 advantage. In the second half, Dow added three more goals but the Lady Acorns put up six more for the win.
On Saturday, the Lady Mustangs continued tournament play against Salinas – once again falling to their Tri-County Athletic League opponent. Dow netted two first-quarter goals on assists from Diana Wallace and Roseanna Rosso, but Gilroy fell behind, 4-2. Second-quarter strikes from Dow and Rossi were countered by four more Salinas goals to make it an 8-4 game at the half. In the third quarter, Gilroy cut the gap with two Rosso goals and a Dow score. Heading into the final quarter down 9-7, the Lady Mustangs outscored Salinas 3-2 – including a third goal froom Rossi – but it was still not enough.
Gilroy followed with a tough match-up against Valley Christian. After the first quarter ended in a 1-1 tie on a goal from Dow, Valley Christian exploded for six goals in the second while the Lady Mustangs were held scoreless. Down 7-1 in the third, Dow added two more and Kim Spaulding scored one. In the fourth, Dow and Rossi struck again, but could not catch up with Valley Christian.
