San Marcos girls water polo’s season came to a close with a 10-8 overtime loss to Foothill on Tuesday in the first round of the SoCal Regional tournament.
The Royals and the Knights developed a bit of a rivalry throughout the season, playing in several one-goal and overtime games. However, it was Foothill who came out on top to end the San Marcos season.
“I am proud of my girls for their hard work and dedication,” Royals coach Chuckie Roth said. “I know the season ended with two close and hard losses. I know these will fuel their internal fire and make each of them more resilient in life.
“I am a proud coach to work with such exceptional character and driven athletes.”
The first quarter was a tight one, with the Royals holding a slim 2-1 lead heading into the second.
San Marcos then dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Knights 5-2 to take a commanding 7-3 lead into halftime.
The second half was all Foothill, as they chipped away at the Royals’ lead until the game was tied at 7-7 with 4:08 to go in regulation.
With 13 seconds left on the clock, San Marcos’ Lucy Haaland-Ford found the back of the cage to take a late lead.
However, the Knights answered back with just one second left to send the game into overtime.
Foothill controlled the overtime periods, taking down the Royals 10-8 and advancing to the SoCal Regional semifinals against Mater Dei.
Marina Brown led San Marcos in scoring with three goals while Haaland-Ford scored twice. Makenna Stretz, Charlotte Raisin and Bethany King all scored one goal apiece.
Defensively, Serenity Stanfield registered five saves and Raisin collected five steals.
