It took boys water polo senior co-captain Eric Warmoth three back-to-back steals before Los Altos scored the first goal of last Thursday’s home game against non-league rival Archbishop Mitty. Eric stole the ball from the opposing team three consecutive times and passed it up to sophomore Kyle Bistrain for the shot. Kyle’s first attempt flew over the cage, and his second went straight to the goalie’s arms. The third  attempt prevailed, and he put Los Altos on the board.

The Eagles dominated over the Lions on their August 31 match, winning with a final score of 18-5, the second win in three consecutive days of non-league matches. Led in scoring by senior co-captain Kyle Sandell with eight goals, Eric with five goals, and Kyle Bistrain with four, the Eagles showed Mitty up with superior offensive and defensive pressure.

That defense played aggressively coming off the starting sprint, preventing the other team from creating an effective passing game. With defense-oriented players like junior Greg Roper in goal and sophomore Boris Palant looking for steals on the perimeter, the Eagles’ superior defense helped to create offensive opportunities.

The play that defined the defensive intensity of the game occurred at the end of the first quarter when Mitty’s goalie gained possession of the ball. Eric attacked and pushed the goalie out to the lane line, putting the ball under and earning a penalty shot which Kyle Sandell took and scored.

The second quarter saw both teams’ defenses stand tall as the Eagles and Lions went back and forth with neither team able to score. It wasn’t until Eric was able to draw an ejection and score that the Eagles went up 5-2. The Lions quickly rebounded with a score of their own, putting it close at 5-3. However, Los Altos was able to go on a scoring streak and scored three more goals by the end of the quarter.

While the Eagles maintained their lead over the Lions, a few defensive errors and miscommunications between the teammates led to ejections that gave Mitty the opportunities to score.

Looking at the Eagles’ performance throughout the game, head coach Seth Tasman was happy with the outcome but still looks to tighten up the team’s schemes.

“We’re just going to tweak our offense and defense to be a little more productive and efficient,” Tasman said. “We’re turning the ball over a little too much, trying to force the ball into set, so [we want to be] a little more patient and try to use all 30 seconds of the shot clock, not forcing a shot within the first 10 to 15 seconds.”

Kyle Sandell credits the team’s rigorous training to their success.

“Obviously, three straight games is definitely a physical challenge to get through,” Kyle Sandell said, “but it’s a really good test for how well we’ve been conditioning over the past few weeks in preseason.”

The Eagles hope to get their first win away in a conference game at Homestead on September 5.