The Gilroy High girls water polo team went about obtaining its first victory of the season in dramatic fashion against Alavrez on Wednesday.
The Mustangs trailed 6-4 at the end of the first half, but managed to tie the contest at 6-6 by the end of the third and outscore the Eagles by the end to claim an 8-7 win.
“Our defense was very strong for three out of the four quarters,” coach Travis Gamble said. “I think we have found our stride and I hope to carry this winning energy into our next game.”
Abby Kienle had four goals, Katie Clark three and Brittany Salcido one for the Mustangs.
• In the first game of the afternoon, the Gilroy High boys team wrapped up a 16-5 nod over Alvarez.
The Mustangs had the pedal to the medal throughout the first half, grabbing a 7-0 lead after the first quarter and taking a 10-3 advantage into halftime.
Much of the offense was manufactured by defense and head coach Fred Latimore credited Joe Vanni with being a catalyst in that capacity, creating turnovers that spurred the scoring opportunities at the other end.
Gilroy kept the pressure on in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 6-2 in the final two quarters.
Senior Garrett Pipkin and sophomore Brendan Reimer shared the team lead with four goals, senior Tommy Cox and sophomore Sam Mendel had three goals each and Daniel Fisser posted two.
Cox took the cage in the first half and had nine saves. Pipkin had his turn at goalie in the second half and came up with four saves.
“We have been building towards this win all year,” GHS coach Fred Latimore said. “We were able to put a complete game together and that was the difference. Outstanding defense created opportunities on offense. I’m very proud of the effort put forth by our team today.”
