First published in the Oct. 2 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
Burroughs High School’s varsity boys’ water polo team allowed four unanswered goals in the final period and suffered a narrow loss at Glendale High, 12-11, in a league match last Thursday.
The Nitros, who improved their Pacific League record to 2-0 (10-8 overall), extended their season-best win streak to three games. Meanwhile, the Bears fell to 0-2 in league (8-10 overall).
Burroughs did a splendid job in erasing an 8-6 halftime deficit with five straight goals in the third period. Harry Zekowski and Ian Duffield each scored twice while Tuna added another goal to lift the Bears to an 11-8 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Trailing by three goals, Glendale teammates Robert Lazaryan, Rudolf Hovhannisyan and Arthur Lazaryan each scored to tie the game, before Artin Ghazaryan fired home what proved to be the game-winning goal for a 12-11 lead with 1:48 left to play.
Burroughs’ Xavier Tuna opened the game’s scoring with 6:30 to play in the first quarter.
Almost a minute later, Glendale’s Tigran Megroyan answered back to tie the game, 1-1. Harry Zekowski and Justin Clourtir scored Burroughs’ final two goals before Glendale’s Gregory Carrillo and Hamlet Tadevosyan goals gave the Nitros a 4-3 advantage.
Tuna scored the first goal of the second quarter with 6:48 remaining to tie the match, 4-4.
An additional goal by Zekowski helped the Bears briefly reclaim a 5-4 before Megroyan scored two straight goals, giving Glendale a 6-5 lead.
Duffield scored the Bears’ final goal of the quarter to tie the match, 6-6.
Zekowski recorded a team-leading four goals for Burroughs while Tuna and Duffield each added three and Clourtir scored once.
