Natasha Dardashti multimedia editor
Varsity boys water polo lost to El Segundo 8-16 on Oct. 25. Though defense was strong for three quarters, the game started to slip away in the fourth quarter as El Segundo increased its lead.
“The team gave a good effort on defense and we tried our hardest to stop the opponent from scoring,” co-captain Leor Davoodpour said. “We could have done a better job on playing more physical defense [later in the game], and relying on teammates to make defensive stops.”
The game was a loss, but co-captain Avi Ghermezi realizes there is still something to gain from losing.
“This loss only made us stronger to improve as a team,” Ghermezi said. “I spoke to the team, [both] as a whole and as individuals, to compliment them on things and to criticize them on things. Now at the end of the season, we have gotten closer as teammates and friends.”
The atmosphere of Tuesday’s game was not a light-hearted one, and Ghermezi felt it was somewhat aggressive.
“It’s a competitive atmosphere. There is a lot that goes [on] under the water that no one knows about. It was a physical and rough game overall,” Ghermezi said.
The lack of time practicing in the Swim Gym is partly to blame for such a loss, according to Davoodpour.
“We got our pool back last week, but we have been practicing at the Culver City Plunge. At that pool, we had to practice in the shallow end with three lanes, and we would used the pool for an inconsistent amount of days a week,” Davoodpour said.
Despite the loss, Davoodpour believes the team would have potential if it were not for such limited practice.
“El Segundo was a tough and strong team to play, so since we have had limited practice, it was difficult for [our] team to make a closer game,” Davoodpour said.
The team’s next game was on Thursday at Culver City. Results were not available during publication.