A Decade in the Making: Flintridge Prep Sinks Poly

^{First published in the Jan. 27 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.}

For the first time in 11 years, the Flintridge Preparatory varsity girls’ water polo team defeated rival Polytechnic, 19-14, in a Prep League game on Friday, Jan. 14.
Prior to the matchup, the Wolves had last beaten the Panthers during the 2010-11 season, according to Poly’s assistant athletic director Thomas Sale.
“Any rivalry game is amazing to win. All of the kids have been talking about this game,” said Flintridge Prep assistant coach Edin Memisevic. “It’s always good to beat your crosstown rivals. Poly’s had us the last [decade], so it feels good to give them a loss finally.”
The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle that saw six lead changes and five ties. It eventually turned into a one-on-one contest as Flintridge Prep’s Emily Battaglia and Poly’s Liz Fogassa traded four goals each in the first four minutes of the quarter. Battaglia finished with a team-high five goals.

“We just could not shut down [Fogassa]. Hats off to her; she’s a great player,” Memisevic said. “Offense was back and forth; I’m sure it’s amusing to watch, but we definitely wanted to pick it up defensively and I think we did in the second half.”
Despite falling to an 11-9 halftime deficit, the Panthers (8-5 overall record, 5-2 in league) didn’t quit and tied the match twice in the third quarter before the Wolves (8-10 overall, 4-1 in league) gained a lead they would not relinquish. Fogassa scored both game-tying goals, once from the 5-meter marker and another from the red, and finished with a game-high eight goals.
“Fogassa is a really, really talented player,” Poly head coach Sean Grab said. “She has definitely been our anchor all year, she’s incredibly gifted and we rely on her a lot; she’s been carrying us. She tried to do it again today, but we fell a little short.”
In the final minute of the third quarter, Flintridge Prep’s Nico Seaver scored back-to-back goals to give the Wolves a 14-12 lead heading into the last quarter. She finished with three goals after adding one in the first half.
The final quarter was Flintridge Prep’s best defensive performance of the afternoon while outscoring Poly 4-2 to secure the victory.
Goalie Dahlia Kamins finished with five saves for the Wolves, while Poly’s Tess Oreck ended with three saves.
Flintridge Prep captain Elise Desjalais posted a game-high six steals, four goals and two assists, while teammate Alexandra Thein added two steals and two goals.
“Elise and Alex are very important for the foundation of our team this year,” Memisevic said. “Alex is always aware defensively and Elise is the vocal one keeping everyone in order. They just make our lives easier as coaches. They are seasoned veterans and keep the team in check.”
Prep’s Victoria Barry scored two goals while teammates Naomi Cohens and Kateline Kinne each had one.
It was an uphill battle for the Panthers when Flintridge Prep figured out how to silence Fogassa. Captain Tonanxochitl Ortega scored Poly’s first goal of the last quarter to finish with three total while adding two assists.
“Ortega’s just a great player to coach,” Grab said. “She just does everything we ask her to do. She guards center for us, scores on the perimeter and she’s just a really, really hard worker.”
Teammate Kaylin Yagura scored her lone goal with 1:28 in the final quarter from the 5-meter marker. She also added a team-high four steals and two assists. Willa Bortz rounded out the scoring by posting two goals and two assists for the Panthers.