Del Oro knocks off Roseville in water polo opener

The Roseville High boys varsity water polo team got the first look at the team many believe will finally unseat Granite Bay in the league title race, and left the pool convinced that Del Oro is well-positioned for a run at the prize."It appears that Del Oro has all the elements - speed, power at set, a strong goalie, strong defense - to take a run at the top spot in SFL this year," said Roseville coach Brad Molina.In this contest, the Golden Eagles tallied early and often, largely on the strength of an overwhelming counterattack as the scored eight unanswered goals out of the chute and never looked back en route to a 21-5 victory. The match was the Sierra Foothill League opener for both squads.The big win sets the stage for Del Oro's Thursday night matchup with perennial league winning Granite Bay, the marquee game on the early season SFL docket."Roseville couldn't keep up with the Del Oro pressure on the outside and speed and the game broke open early," said Del Oro coach Dave Obert. "That won't be the case against Granite Bay and it will likely be who can execute their offense and the play of the goalies that wins the game. It should be close."The Tigers settled the game down during the second stanza, and were outscored just 2-1 during the period, but the Golden Eagles got it going again after the break and put the contest out of reach.Alex Obert led the scoring for Del Oro with six goals. The senior also added two assists and three steals. Tommy McKenzie scored four goals and Sam Baker added three, while Josh McCormick, Ben Baker and Collin Johnston each found the net twice in the Golden Eagle scoring spree.Joe Horchak and Brandon Bridges each tossed home a pair of goals to lead Roseville. The Tigers are at Woodcreek Thursday.Del Oro (1-0) now prepares for the big showdown with Granite Bay (1-0), set for 7 p.m. Thursday night in the pool at Sierra College. The varsity girls match precedes the boys duel, starting at 6 p.m.