Upset bid just short

The Saddleback women's water polo season came to a close on Thursday at the 3C2A State Tournament in Marin.  The Bobcats played gamely with the top seed from Northern California before losing in the final seconds.

The game was supposed to be a formality, with Saddleback coming in as the No. 4 seed from the south and West Valley the top seed from the north.  It turned out to be anything but a formality as the Bobcats gave the Vikings everything they wanted and then some.

The two teams were close throughout, with the lead going back and forth for the entire game.  Saddleback tied the game at 14-14 when Katherine Butler scored her fourth goal of the game with 1:38 remaining on the clock.  West Valley would get the last laugh, tallying the final goal of the game with four seconds remaining on the scoreboard for a 15-14 victory.

Saddleback was led by Butler and Aaliyah Burns, who both finished with four goals apiece.  West Valley was led by Aiyana Mendoza, who finished with a game-high five goals.

Saddleback finishes the season 21-13 overall.  It was the most wins in a season in program history.  In addition, it was the first time in program history that the team had made the state tournament.