Bellevue claims Regional crown
Fresh off its championship at the San Diego Open, the Bellevue boys water polo team added another title to its 2015 season: Regional champs. Four teams from the North Division and four teams from the West Division met at last weekend’s Regional tournament seeking one of four state qualification spots. When the dust settled, Bellevue beat Mercer Island in the championship to gain the #1 seed heading into next weekend’s state title. Roosevelt and Gig Harbor also qualified for state.
In the state’s other Regional tournament, Curtis easily cruised to the top spot, beating Puyallup 19-3 in the finals. Rounding out next weekend’s eight-team state field are Kentridge and Auburn-Mountainview. While Bellevue was pleased with the first-place finish, the Wolverines know that Regional titles do not guarantee state success. Last year, Bellevue stumbled to fourth at Regionals before regrouping to win the title.
Bellevue 20, Wilson 6
Behind eight first quarter goals and a well-rounded offensive attack, Bellevue downed Wilson Rams 20-6. Sophomore Nick Cvitkovic scored a career-high four goals and drew two ejections. Senior co-captain Zack Rossman and juniors Mario Abdel Shahed and Jesse Hainze each added three goals.
Bellevue 16, Newport 6
Playing without starters Cameron Hayes and AJ Rossman, the Wolverines struggled to convert several early offensive opportunities and found itself trailing 6-5 at halftime. In the second half, the Wolverines found their shooting rhythm and proceeded to outscore Newport 11-0 over the final two periods. Zack Rossman posted a season-high eight goals to go along with six steals and three ejections drawn. Cvitkovic, Hainze and junior Sam Geffe eached chipped in two goals each. Sophomore Ethan Wlaschin led the defense with eight saves. With the win, the Wolverines clinched a state tournament berth for the sixteenth straight season.
Bellevue 10, Mercer Island 9
Last time Bellevue faced Mercer Island, the Wolverines jumped out to a 9-3 lead after three quarters before getting outscored 0-4 in the final quarter to turn a possible blow-out into a nailbiter. This time, the two teams followed a nearly-identical script. Bellevue used a ferocious defense to hold Mercer Island to just two second-quarter goals. Meanwhile, Rossman, Hainze and Hayes led the offense to 8 goals through three periods. But the fourth quarter proved to be a problem for the Wolverines. Mercer Island put up seven goals, including three in the final minute of the game, to nearly pull off the stunning comeback. In the end, however, Bellevue’s early game lead proved to be just enough to get the win.
Rossman and Hainze led the offense with three goals each. Hayes added two. Sophomore AJ Rossman led the defense with a dominating performance at center-defender, holding Mercer Island’s dangerous center scoreless. Senior Will Amsberry filled in for an injured Wlaschin and performed admirably, notching four saves and one assist.
With the win, Bellevue (20-5) advance to the state tournament as the Region’s #1 seed and will face Auburn-Mountainview at 5:00pm on Thursday at Curtis High School.
