A special season for the Leland water polo teams ended on consecutive evenings last week. Neither the boys nor the girls could overcome defending champions in semifinal games of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs at Menlo-Atherton.
The Leland boys, matched against Bellarmine College Prep in the CCS playoffs for the first time since bowing in the 2003 championship game, hung tough against the Bells in the first half on Nov. 16, but eventually sank 13-6.
Leland’s girls, paired with St. Francis in the D-I semifinals for the third straight season, battled fiercely after allowing three quick goals in the first quarter, but lost to the Lancers 4-3.
Bellarmine’s boys and St. Francis’ girls went on to lose one-goal games in the championship round, the Bells dropping a 12-11 decision to the St. Francis boys and the SF girls falling 6-5 to Menlo-Atherton.
In the boys semifinal, Leland’s defense was solid against Bellarmine, allowing just two goals in each of the first two quarters. But the Bells’ defense was stronger, yielding just one goal to the Chargers over the first three periods. Leland trailed 4-1 at halftime, but Bellarmine erupted for six goals in the third quarter and pulled out in front 10-2 heading into the final six minutes. The Chargers outscored Bellarmine 4-3 in the final period, making the final margin 13-6.
For Leland’s girls, the third CCS semifinal meeting in a row with St. Francis was not a charm. The Lancers scored their first goal just 29 seconds into the game and had a 3-0 lead before freshman Tina Samson scored for Leland with 3:39 left in the opening period.
Junior goalkeeper Ashley Arras and the defense in front of her blanked St. Francis in the second quarter, but the Chargers could not score either, leaving the score 3-1 at halftime.
In the third quarter, after a nifty save by Arras, senior Caroline Norton scored for Leland, trimming the deficit in half 3-2. St. Francis stretched its lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Chargers were only to convert one more shot the rest of the way, another goal by Samson.
For both Leland teams, the CCS final four appearances capped seasons to remember, but also provided a goal for 2011. Coach Mike Monsees had just five seniors on his boys roster, and only three seniors played for coach Eric Rise on the girls team.
Rise said he learned early in the season to not underestimate his 2010 squad, which was the youngest mix of players he had ever coached, with two freshmen, three sophomores and two juniors joining seniors Norton, Brianna Sherrin and Rachael Snyder.
“This team refused to allow a ‘rebuilding tag’ to be put on it this year,” said Rise, after the Chargers finished with a 23-5 record. “It had a great work ethic, and the effort only increased, as the girls’ expectations for themselves grew.”
Junior Samantha Murphy was the leading scorer for the lady Chargers, after scoring just 12 goals as a sophomore.
“Samantha worked very hard in the off season and focused on water polo,” Rise said. “She came into the school season much improved and she did a heck of a job.”
Murphy and Arras will be the only returning seniors for Leland next fall, but sophomores Allison Griffeth, Jamie Nolan and Katie Peck and freshmen Sabrina Sherrin and Samson also figure to be back with plenty of experience under their belts. Three other freshmen, Marissa Easton, Diana Hatamian and Heather Keighley, and sophomore Nazli Mara-Emadi were added to the roster for the CCS playoffs.
Like the girls team, Leland’s boys should benefit from several returning players next fall. Gone, however, will be Kyle Mulligan, who was the Chargers’ top 2-meter player and often the team’s top scorer this season. Other seniors playing their last game for the Chargers were Evan Quint, Albert Yu, Jacob Johnson and Daniel Barta.
Field players eligible to return for the Chargers include juniors Jacob Ley, Chris Asplund, Scott Keighley, Jack Mulligan and Jon Kane and sophomore Matt Bucter, all who were regular contributors this season. Both of the team’s goalies, Tanner Sarpa and Spencer Ehler, also were juniors this season. Other team members were juniors Jacob Wells, Ishan Shah, Clark Jackson and Brian Gaydon, sophomores Richard MacInnes and Thomas Kelbert and freshman Cory Murphy.
“The team goals were to win the league for the fifth year in a row and have a top four finish in the CCS playoffs,” said Monsees, whose team finished with a 21-6-1 record. “This team lived up to its expectations.”
