Kaye's 7 goals get Monache semifinal rematch

The eight seniors on Monache’s girls water polo squad know their days are numbered as the end of the postseason — and their high school careers — draws near.

Thursday night’s 22-7 pounding over visiting Sunnyside in the Division II quarterfinals meant the girls’ solid 2009 run will last at least another two days until Saturday when the third-seeded Marauders likely face No. 2 El Diamante.

Monache coach Ryan Atchley applauded his team’s play for taking care of the Wildcats and not looking ahead of the task at hand.

“It’s playoffs, so anything can happen,” Atchley said. “You’ve gotta admire (Sunnyside’s) spirit. We started a little slow, but once we kicked it into gear and started playing defense, we really moved the ball well.”

The ball-movement skills were on display throughout, but particularly during the first quarter when Amanda Kaye scored after five Marauders had touched it. Kaye scored seven times for game-high honors, including three goals in the opening period to take a 4-2 lead. The fourth one, scored by Mary Crocker, was assisted by Kaye after she passed on a wide-open shot from the hole.

Kaye scored twice more in the second quarter, including one in which she read Sunnyside’s shot clock was about to expire and made a beeline down the pool. Kelly Fournier picked up the turnover and launched the ball ahead to Kaye for the easy score.

“Amanda played great, but so many girls contributed,” Atchley said while pointing out that nine of the 11 on his roster netted at least one goal.

Ally Bernard got going in the second quarter, where she scored three of her six goals — her most impressive one showcasing her speed as she went coast-to-coast on a one-man counter-attack to make it 10-4 just before the half.

Though the final score might look like a blowout, Bernard swore afterward it wasn’t the Marauders’ intention.

“We weren’t trying to run up the score,” she said. “We tried to hold back on the counter-attack and not score as much. I think we treated this game just like every other game — come out with our best and prepare for the unexpected.”

Monache’s defense suffered a slight letdown in the third quarter, allowing Zenia Munoz — the Wildcats’ burly hole set — score three straight of her team-high six goals. But the Marauders easily made up for it by scoring seven goals in the same time frame — including a penalty shot by senior Brooke Weldon that found nothing but net.

“Brooke just came to play,” Atchley said. “I was impressed. I thought our bench played great. We shut them out in the fourth quarter.”

Against many of the Sunnyside starters still in the pool, the Marauders’ second-string unit poured on three more goals: Fournier, Darlin Hornsby and Bailey Likewise, whose no-look shot from the hole was the final nail in the Wildcats’ season.

Jessica Santos and Elizabeth Jacobs also added a goal while Crocker finished with two.

In all probability, Monache gets a semifinals rematch with El Diamante, who knocked them out last year on the way to the championship. But the Marauders, who lost by one in a scrimmage to the Miners earlier this season, welcome the challenge.

“We know this could be our last game,” Kaye said. “We have eight seniors and we know this is our last season, so we wanna got out doing our best.”

Monache goalie Mary Imbach, who had six saves and assisted Kaye on an outlet pass for a goal, remembers quite well facing Bailey Wicliffe, Alyson Huber and the Miners.

“They’re fast and they’re strong,” she said. “If it’s gonna end (Saturday), I wanna end giving all we’ve got.”