SPARTAN WIN STREAK EXTENDS TO 7: BHS sinks Wilson again this season

Published 3:05 pm Monday, October 12, 2015

Even as the season gets chillier, the competition in the pool is heating up.

But, despite the increasing ferocity of their opponents, the Bainbridge High varsity boys water polo team remained undefeated so far this season Tuesday after a hard-fought 14-9 win at home against Wilson High at the Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center.

The victory brought the team’s season record to 7-0, and marked the second time they’d beaten Wilson this season, the first on the Spartans’ own turf.

Despite the previous win, BHS Head Coach Kristin Gellert said the team was far from cocky going into the match.

“We always expect a good game from Wilson,” she said. “They’re a tough, competitive team. Last time we played them, their main scorer got kicked out of the game, so we were kind of expecting a close game this time with them.”

And a close game it was.

Bainbridge scored first with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter, but no Spartan goal would go unanswered for long, and, with about four minutes to go, Bainbridge led 3-1, and Wilson was on the rise.

Bainbridge led 5-2 by the quarter’s end, but, with just over a

minute to go in the second quarter, the score sat tied at 7-7.

After the half, the third quarter saw Bainbridge pull ahead a bit, but never quite lose Wilson in their wake.

The game entered its final quarter 12-8, BHS.

Harrison Shinohara led the team’s scoring efforts with five goals. Goals were also scored by Jem Bullock (four), Sam Kapel (two), Jack Kapel (one), Will Thompson (one) and Sam Chapman (one).

Gellert said the team’s overall most important edge had been their ability to maintain a consistent level of offense throughout the match, which did not allow Wilson a breather.

“Our guys looked fit,” she said. “They seemed to have more stamina and it paid off [when] we got to pull away in that second half.

“Both teams wanted a win,” she added. “They’re definitely league rivals. I think they came in pumped up, ready to give us a game, and I think we’ve been training really hard and it showed.”

Undefeated now at mid-season, Gellert said that the Spartans were set to face some of their toughest competition in the coming weeks.

“Everyone’s out to get you when you’re undefeated,” she laughed. “We have some really tough games coming up. Puyallup on Monday is going to be a really, really tough game. They’re on a streak right now and they’re having a really good season and we’re playing them at their pool.”

The coach also said that upcoming matches against Newport (at home, Oct. 23) and Curtis (at home, Oct. 29) would be especially difficult matches as well.

“It’s never in the past,” she said of the squad’s focus. “It doesn’t matter what the record is. You’re always going in 0-0.”

The team’s next home match is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 14 against Peninsula High.