Sweet Home’s girls water polo team stayed in the league lead by beating West Salem and South Albany/West Albany over the last week.
The girls played a combined S.Albany/W.Albany girls team “who love to play a very physical game,” Coach Kathy Benzo said. “Our girls had a great time.”
Sweet Home won by forfeit, since the other schools had a combined team, though Alyshia Benzo and Nicole Martin each were ejected with three personal fouls in the physical match, which allowed some of the Huskies’ younger players to step up, Kathy Benzo said.
“And boy, did they,” she said. “It was great to see how the girls just kept on playing and digging deep within themselves to play a great game.”
Calhoon and Alyshia Benzo each scored two goals, and Laura Gourley and Nicole Martin each scored one.
The score on the boys side was West Albany 17, Sweet Home 3.
West Salem
The girls beat West Salem 23-9 on Oct. 5. Benzo said everything came together for the Huskies, who are back in the pool after not having a program last year.
“The girls had outstanding passing, offense and defense,” she said. “The girls were communicating with each other very well.”
Alyshia Benzo scored eight goals, with eight steals and two assists, to lead the Huskies in scoring. Calhoon scored five goals and added 10 steals and seven assists; Martin scored four goals and had five steals; Gourley scored three goals and added three assists; NoraJean Lemar had two goals and one steal; and Alice Davis had one goal.
“Katie Kinney and Faith Helfrich showed some very impressive (defensive) moves,” Kathy Benzo said. “Karen Swift, our newest team member, is coming right along as well. Tee Whaley saved the ball 10 times and once again amde some very nice passes to her teammates.
Against West Salem, the boys ran into a physical team that left hem with “quite a few nasty bruises,” Benzo said of the Huskies’ 17-4 loss.
But, she said, Sweet Home did not lose its composure and, with a team heavy in first-year players, “our boys showed that they are a strong team who is willing to learn and get better with every match.”
Jon Lemar scored twice, Jayce Calhoon and Kieren Schaefer each scored a goal, but the boys “struggled with our offense,” Benzo said.
South Albany
On Oct. 3, the boys lost 10-8 to South Albany, but played “a very good game,” she said.
Brinden Sanders led the Huskies with three goals, Joel Gunselman scored two, and Jayce Calhoon, Zach Fetch, and Michael Simmonds each scored one “which, let me tell you, was no easy feat – their goalie was great,” the coach said.
The Huskies will wind up their regular season this week with a home match against Bend on Thursday, Oct. 12, and another home match on Oct. 19 against Albany.
The girls will be at districts Oct. 28 “and hopefully go on to state from there,” Benzo said.