Warriors get by Moorpark in girls’ water polo

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers WIN FOR WHS—Moorpark’s Kacie Markado, left, battles Westake’s Emily Oettinger. In a battle of two teams with only one win in Marmonte League play, it was Westlake that picked up its second league win, defeating Moorpark, 12-9, at Westlake High Tuesday afternoon.

The Warriors were led by Natalie Todak’s four goals, Lana Cox’s three goals and two goals apiece from Paolina Bartolucci and Emily Oettinger.

Moorpark got three goals from Jessica Bridges and two goals apiece from Stacey London and Haley Swenson.

“We started out well, then we kind of relaxed in the second period. But we came back in the third and had a nice run there,” WHS head coach Mark Garrett said.

“We got to play everybody today and I’m pleased with that and hopefully,” he said. “It will carry into the next game.”

Westlake grabbed control of the game in the third quarter, when the Warriors scored seven goals to pull away from Moorpark after the two teams went into halftime tied at 4.

Todak scored three of her four goals in the third quarter, including the first with 6:34 remaining.

Kristina Catanese scored Westlake’s second goal two minutes later.

Bridges tried to stem the tide for Moorpark with a goal at the 5:42 mark, but Westlake’s Cox scored the first of her two third-quarter goals 20 seconds later. Todak scored two goals inside the threeminute mark of the third quarter.

Moorpark got two third quarter goals from Swenson, the first on a penalty shot, but Briers scored with just under two minutes left and Cox scored at the buzzer to give Westlake a commanding 11-7 lead.

Cox added another Westlake goal with 4:35 left in the fourth quarter, but Moorpark made an attempt to come back, as Bridges and April Smith scored inside the final three minutes to close the deficit.

But the hole was eventually too deep, as Westlake improved to 9-7 overall and 2-4 in league play.

Moorpark fell to 5-8, 1-6.

“I thought we played not one of our better games this year, but we’re getting there,” Moorpark head coach Peter Daland said. “We have a young team and once we learn to (achieve) a higher percentage of shooting, we’ll improve.”

Westlake scored the first goal of the game when Bartolucci took a pass from Cassie Briers and fired the ball past Moorpark goalkeeper Cathryn Sampson into the net for Westlake’s first score at 5:59. Oettinger added another goal 20 seconds later to give Westlake a 2-0 lead.

Moorpark, however, refused to panic.

Katie Johnson scored Moorpark’s first goal with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Westlake answered with a goal from Oettinger with two and a half minutes left to play, but London scored with 26 seconds left and Westlake led, 3-2, after the first quarter.

The second quarter was more of the same for both teams. Todak scored for Westlake at the 5:15 mark, and Bridges answered with a goal for Moorpark. London scored with 1:38 left to tie the game at four heading into the halftime break.