Varsity boys water polo defeated Gunn High School 17-5 at the Singh Aquatic Center on Thursday.
Harker won the opening swim-off but quickly lost possession due to pressure from Gunn. After goalie Alejandro Cheline (11) blocked an up-close shot Harker regained control of the ball, Ian Cheline (10) scored the first goal.
The two teams exchanged goals in a back and forth battle, with the score climbing to 3-2. Halfway through the quarter, Harker’s offense found its rhythm, and goals from Ruhan Arora (11) and Adam Pawliger (12) propelled the Eagles to a lead of 7-2 at the end of the quarter.
During the second quarter, the pace of the game slowed as both sides struggled to score. Caio Cammer (12) and captain Vyom Vidyarthi (12) curbed multiple Titans offensive plays by intercepting passes and protecting the goal. Gunn scored their only goal of the quarter off a penalty shot, and Harker responded by scoring three points in a row, bringing the score up to 10-3 by halftime.
Alejandro credited Harker’s dominance in the first two quarters to fast counterattacks, which stemmed from the team’s constant offensive pressure and effective defense.
“We had a lot of goals off the counter, and our defensive high press really worked out,” Alejandro said. “Now that we’re in the second half of the season, the team is improving a lot and we’re really working on the counter and especially our defense.”
Harker continued their defensive control through the third quarter, as Alejandro made three saves, including a close-range block with his chest and a deflection of a long range shot over the crossbar. On offense, David Kelly (10) delivered a pass from the wing to Aden Liu (9), who tipped it into the goal, extending Harker’s lead to 12-3.
Head coach Lee Mcbride emphasized this noteworthy play by highlighting the clean execution from both players involved.
“The vision was great,” McBride said. “Seeing that pass was the hardest part of the job – it’s being able to recognize all the players that are open. The execution at the end of the pass to the finish from Aden was nice as well.”
Throughout the fourth quarter, Harker maintained control of the match, keeping Gunn goalless while continuing to pile on points. Ossi Carrico (9) opened the quarter with an up-close finish following a play involving multiple passes, bringing the score to 14-5.
David reflected on the collective effort that made these goals possible.
“We played together as a team really well, and that’s what I attribute to our success today,” David said. “We’ve got great guys, and as long as we stick together and play for each other out there, we’ll do well.”
After Ossi’s goal, Adam netted a goal after a precise long assist from Alejandro. Off the counter, a push shot from Ian Cheline bounced off the post, but Ian rebounded the ball to score a backhand shot. Oskar Baumgarte (11) scored the final goal with a deft move around a defender, concluding the game 17-5 for the Eagles.
Following their victory, Adam praised the well-rounded performance of the team that allowed them to dominate Gunn.
“We did a really good job capitalizing on the counterattacks, and our defense was also really strong,” Adam said. “We did a good job shutting them down. Overall, everyone contributed and that’s how we pulled off our win.”
The team currently holds a 7-5 record and plays Fremont High School on Oct. 10.