Brunswick opened its water polo season by defeating Santa Barbara High School, 12-8, on Tuesday afternoon in Southern California.
The first quarter went back and forth between the two opponents, as the teams traded goals and ended the frame knotted up at two. Ryan Ohl and Luke Apostolides scored for the visitors.
SBHS tallied four unanswered goals in the second quarter, but JP Ohl, off an assist from Will Morton, scored to bring the Bruins within three at the half.
The third quarter saw a turn of the tides, with Brunswick outscoring the Dons 4-1. William Ewald opened the scoring, and then Ryan Ohl assisted JP Ohl to close the gap to one. The older Ohl drew an ejection to create a man-up opportunity and scored off an assist from Vilas Sogaard to tie the game. SBHS answered on an extra-man play of its own to go up 7-6. The younger Ohl brother responded to tie the game before the end of the third.
The Bruins had a strong fourth quarter, with Ryan Ohl scoring his third goal off an assist from Aidan Marks to give the Bruins a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. JP Ohl quickly followed with another goal (his fifth of the game), assisted by Sogaard, to bring the score to 10-7. Sogaard and Jack Scafidi scored a goal each down the stretch, increasing the Bruins’ lead to 12-7. SBHS completed the afternoon’s scoring to set the final at 12-8.
Goalkeeper Ryan Miele made four saves between the pipes for Brunswick.
The Bruins will take on Dos Pueblos High School on Wednesday before opening play in the Santa Barbara Invitational on Thursday.
Saves: Miele (4) Goals: Ryan Ohl (3), Apostolides (1), JP Ohl (5), V. Sogaard (1), Ewald (1), Scafidi (1)