Glendale’s Water Polo Tournament Journey

The varsity girls’ water polo team from Glendale High School advanced to the championship match of the Pacific League Tournament, where they faced off against top-seeded Arcadia at Arcadia High on Thursday, February 1st. Despite their efforts, the Nitros, seeded second in the tournament, fell short of claiming the league title, losing 9-8 to the hosts in a closely contested final. Further coverage of the championship game will be available in the upcoming issue of the Glendale News Press.

With their league campaign concluded, Glendale now shifts its focus to the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The playoff brackets are set to be released on February 3rd at 9 a.m., with Glendale competing in Division IV. Earlier in the tournament, Glendale secured a victory over Muir High of Pasadena with a score of 8-3 in the preliminary round, led by a standout performance from junior Armine Zelveyan, who scored four goals. Junior players Brina Brati, Leora Freeman, and Leah Gaddes also contributed to the win with goals of their own.

In a separate Pacific League Tournament match, Crescenta Valley emerged victorious against Pasadena, prevailing 8-4 in the preliminary round. Goalkeeper Miranda Graham showcased her talent with eight saves, while Ani Thomassian led the offensive charge with four goals. However, their tournament journey ended with a loss to Burroughs High of Burbank in the first round. Despite the setback, Crescenta Valley rebounded with a convincing 10-3 win over Burbank in their tournament opener, with Graham making 13 saves and Thomassian netting five goals. As the fifth seed with a 12-12 overall record, Crescenta Valley vied for fifth place against Burbank on February 1st. Details of this match will be covered in the next issue of the Glendale News-Press, alongside the release of the CIF Southern Section playoff brackets.

Meanwhile, Hoover faced a tough overtime loss to Burbank, falling 4-3 in the preliminary round of the Pacific League Tournament. Unfortunately, individual statistics for this match were not reported. As the seventh seed with a 2-9 overall record, Hoover contested the seventh-place game against Pasadena on February 1st, with coverage of the match slated for the upcoming issue of the Glendale News-Press.