By DENALI BOLLENS
Staff Writer
On December 11, University High School (UHS) girls water polo began the El Nino Tournament by playing Sonora High School and Arroyo Grande High School.
In the first game against Sonora High School, UHS won 10-3. UHS girls started strong in the first quarter by scoring six strong shots. Sonora’s offense was unable to connect passes and penetrate UHS’s defense, and the first quarter ended 6-0.
Kyla Pickell (Sr.) said, “All morale was high after the first quarter against Sonora, the team was ready to bring it the rest of the game.”
Throughout the rest of the game, UHS was able to maintain its lead and defend the goal, ending the game 10-3.
In its second game against Arroyo Grande High School, UHS lost 5-11. UHS ended the first half with a lead of 5-3, but in the third quarter, Grande found a hole in UHS’s defense and scored four easy points. Pickell scored three goals throughout the game.
The Trojans continued in the El Nino tournament and played Ocean View High School and Woodbridge High School on December 13. In the first game of the day, UHS played Ocean View. At half time, the two teams were tied 5-5. In the third quarter, UHS pulled ahead of Ocean View by one point, but ultimately lost the game 10-9.
Later in the day, UHS beat Woodbridge, a team it will once again face in league play. UHS won its last game in the tournament 9-7. Pickell, who scored 4 points during this game, said, “This win gives our team hope for season, beating Woodbridge is always a big deal.”
University High School ended 2-2 in the El Nino tournament. The Trojans’ next game will be a league game against Beckman on January 13.