Posted on: Saturday, October 5, 2002
Punahou wins ILH water polo first round
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Playing in hostile territory and recovering from jet lag and colds, the Punahou School boys water polo team seized early opportunities last night and held off Iolani, 8-6, in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu showdown at Iolani.
A crowd of about 200, including Iolani's pep band and spillover fans from big volleyball matches going on next door, watched Punahou (3-0) win the ILH first round championship.
Iolani (2-1) still has a chance for the league's overall title if it captures the second round title and force a winner-take-all game for the regular season crown.
But last night, Punahou assumed the driver's seat by jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the first half. Iolani scored first on Julian Price's goal with 2:29 remaining in the first period, but the Buffanblu's C.J. Smith tied it up 12 seconds later.
Punahou then got goals from Billy Brady and Forrest Schwartz to take a 3-1 lead into the second quarter. Arik Look, Smith and Schwartz each scored in the next period to give the Buffanblu a 6-1 halftime lead.
"You can't give a good team a lead like that," Iolani coach Mark Cornish said. "We came out flat and gave them some easy goals and they got momentum off of that. We didn't execute on our side, and they jumped all over us."
The Raiders came out firing in the second half, thanks to increased defensive pressure which created opportunities on the other end.
Blake Horita scored 31 seconds into the third period on a shot that skipped into the net from the right side. Horita scored again to make it 6-3, but Brady answered with a goal later in the quarter to give Punahou a 7-3 lead heading into the final period.
Horita skipped another shot in to make it 7-4 with 4:32 left, but Kyle Morgan put the Buffanblu up 8-4 on a goal with 2:56 remaining. Price scored on an assist from Horita to make it 8-5, and Horita scored with 1:24 left to pull Iolani to withing two.
But the Raiders would get only one more scoring opportunity, a shot that went off the crossbar with 15 seconds remaining.
In addition to goalie Robby Field's nine blocks, Punahou also received outstanding defensive support in the form of three field blocks.
"Those field blocks really help," Field said. "It's something we work on in practice."
It certainly came in handy last night, just a few days after the Buffanblu returned from a tournament in Newport Beach, Calif. with three starters nursing colds.
"I'm real proud," said Ken Smith, in his 29th season as Punahou's head coach. "Iolani matches up with us pretty well, and I don't think we've ever had an easy game here. So for us to hold on, it's a good win."
