After a long and challenging season facing some of the top teams in the nation, Buena boys water polo readied themselves for the last and most important regular game of the season on Friday, Oct. 17. After four quarters, two rounds of overtime and a final round of sudden death, the Bulldogs came up short, losing to the Dos Pueblos Chargers, 13-14.

Coming off of a win against the Ventura Cougars the previous day, the Bulldogs had high energy and expectations to come out with another victory.

“My mentality was to keep [my teammates] attitudes as positive as possible, so we didn’t crumble under the pressure,” senior and goalie Mack Munger said.

The whistle blew and the sprint was off with Buena taking the win and getting off their first goal. Senior and Utility Jack Pointner and junior and center defender Anthony Bruno scored goals, while M. Munger blocked a few Dos Pueblos attempts. The Bulldogs ended the first quarter with a 3-1 lead.

However, Dos Pueblos came firing back in the second quarter, winning the sprint and tying it up quickly within the first few minutes. With over 15 ejection calls within the second quarter, both teams were hungry for scoring opportunities. Buena earned their fair share of six-on-five opportunities but failed to get through Dos Pueblos’ wall of arms, tying it up 6-6. 

Throughout the third quarter, M. Munger and Pointner linked up with a few quick blocks and then goals. Sophomore and attacker Austin Martinez found the back of the net and senior and attacker River Davis took two penalty shots, securing points for the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, after Buena’s starting center defender was rolled, Dos Pueblos was able to extend their lead, 9-7. 

Head Coach Tom Davis realized the game was escaping from them and before the fourth quarter, he pulled his players out of the pool and encouraged them to fight for the win they deserve. 

“In the fourth quarter, we were down, [but we also realized] we still had a chance,” Pointner said.

Although the Chargers won the sprint, the Bulldogs continued to persevere. A quick pass from sophomore and attacker Paolo Del Negro to R. Davis put another point on the board, and an impressive three goals was scored soon after by Pointner, tying them up 12-12.

In the last fourteen seconds of the game, spectators were on the edge of their seats. Dos Pueblos attempted a timeout play; however, senior and center defender Wyatt Munger was able to make a steal, upsetting the Chargers and sending them into overtime. 

After two rounds of back and forth overtime, neither team was able to break the tie, 13-13. In the final round, sudden death, the minutes ran out quickly without a goal and the audience believed the game may go into a shoot out, an abnormality for high school matches. In the last seconds of the quarter, the Chargers slipped an outside shot past Bulldog hands and into the goal, securing first place in the Channel League.

As the teams cooled down from the close game, players reflected on performance and the outcome. Pointner believed their team struggled with compatibility, whereas M. Munger found positives in some light but noted the skills they may need to work on in practice. 

In the following weeks Buena will prepare for the Channel League finals, where Buena and Dos Pueblos will likely meet up for a rematch.

“Going forward we are going to keep it as positive as possible, taking each game one at a time, step by step,” M. Munger said.