In a matchup between the top two girls water polo teams in the Tri-County Athletic League, the undefeated Soquel Knights (16-6, 13-0 TCAL) wore down the San Lorenzo Valley High School Cougars in a 15-9 battle for the top spot in league.
SLV (17-3, 10-2 TCAL) fought fervently but fell behind in the first period and remained there for the duration of the game.
Area scoring leader Cammy Kellogg, an SLV junior, was pinned by a constant double team as the Knights’ tenacious defense apparently tried to stifle the Cougars’ all-league hole-set.
Marissa Petras and Hayley Smith led the Cougars’ scoring attack with three goals each, taking mostly long shots on goal, while Kellogg was pounded every time she approached the goal.
Kellogg and Petras are the top two scorers in the area and play year-round club polo. However, the remainder of the club team they play for in the offseason is filled by Knights players.
“It is weird playing against people you play with the rest of the year,” Petras said. “I threw a pass to a Soquel girl in our last game because I forgot that she wasn’t on my team.”
Kellogg has a league-leading 108 goals this season; the next-highest scorer in the area is Petras, who has 86. No other player in the league is within 40 goals of Kellogg.
“They play us really well,” said Kellogg, who scored two goals in the match against Soquel. “All those girls know me really well, and they defend against our strengths better than anyone.”
Though SLV has two losses in league, both have been to the league-leading Knights. That gives the Cougars a strong hold on second place and a good shot at making the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Both teams will compete next in the TCAL tournament beginning Monday, Oct. 31, and continuing through Nov. 5. Game locations are still to be announced.
