Girls’ varsity water polo (0-2 Peninsula Bay) suffered a blowout loss in their second league game of the season against Terra Nova High School on Thursday, Sept. 13, dropping the contest 22-4.

The Panthers seemed to have the advantage early on, winning the ball after the sprint. However, it didn’t take long for the Tigers to exert control, dominating the first quarter of play. It only got worse from there, and it was clear the game wasn’t headed in Burlingame’s favor. There were a few positives, including the play from senior and co-captain Stella Wettan and sophomore Aria Sherwood, who scored two goals each. 

“I definitely expected the game to be closer just because they came from a lower division,” Wettan said. “But I think it’s really clear why they’ve moved up a division, and I think they played a lot more aggressively than we expected.”

This season was inevitably going to be a time to rebuild, as Wettan is the team’s sole returning varsity player. But the new squad has been working on improving their chemistry and strengthening their work in practice. 

“I think everyone on our team is still learning a lot,” Wettan said. “Not everything is going to be perfect, we’re still adjusting to each other’s speed so that’s gonna take a second.”

The team is confident they can build camaraderie with each other as the season progresses, hoping to lean on their experience competing at the junior varsity level. 

“The team has known each other collectively, for longer, which makes us able to play better together having that bond,” junior and co-captain Kelcey Flenniken said. “We’re all determined to make it a good season despite previous losses”.

After the tough loss to Terra Nova, the Panthers expressed the importance of maintaining a positive mindset as they look to move forward and learn from their mistakes.

“During the game I think we all kind of understood that we were playing a better team,” Flenniken said. “But as long as we’re giving it our all, at the end of the day that’s what’s important.”