The girls water polo team played a “break-through” game against Lebanon, winning 15-8 at home.
“I think it was a real break-through game for them,” Coach Adam Lloyd said. “A lot of things we’ve been working on came together in this game, on offense, just driving at the right time and finding the open person.”
Looking at scores of teams both Lebanon and Sweet Home have played, “I really expected that to be an even game,” Coach Lloyd said. It speaks to how far the girls have come this season.
Krystle Streight led scoring with nine goals. Justine Calhoon, Dani Birky and Nichole Martin each scored two. Liz Anderson had nine saves at goal.
Coach Lloyd and the team hoped to carry the momentum from the win into the next game, but they were disappointed, losing 9-5 to Redmond at South Salem Saturday.
“The girls played tough,” Coach Lloyd said. “It was really a close game. In fact, it was tied at the end of the third quarter.”
Losing the game was a letdown after Lebanon, Coach Lloyd said. The Huskies let it get away from them in the fourth quarter, but they played them tight most of the way. Redmond was a tough physical team, and the Huskies had no subs. When close at the end of the game, the Huskies are often tired after no breaks.
“I think we just kind of ran out of gas at the end,” Coach Lloyd said. “That’s when heart kicks in, and both teams (including the boys) just have a ton of heart. That’s why we’re able to do as good as we do.”
Anderson had nine saves at goal against Redmond. Streight led with three goals, and Martin scored two.
The boys defeated Lebanon 16-4.
“They looked good, played really well, like I expected them to in that game,” Coach Lloyd said. The team did a few different things, like running freshman Shawn Adams at goalie and giving James Davis time at other positions. He had four saves on the game, which showed how well the Husky defense worked.
Jeff Stratman led scoring with eight goals. Larry Coulter added three. James Davis and Ian Parks scored two each. Jonathan LeMar scored ne goal.
The boys lost 12-7 to Redmond after getting down 4-1 in the first three minutes of the game.
“They would shoot from anywhere, and they made some really good shots,” Coach Lloyd said. “By the end of the game, I think we were controlling that better.”
In the last part of the game, the Huskies were able to go in, set up their offense and do some great things, Coach Lloyd said. He believes they learned enough about them to win next time they play at the end of the season.
Coulter led scoring with three goals. Matt Maloney and Stratman added two each. Davis had 11 saves.
The girls are 3-4. The boys are 4-3.