A young squad doesn’t mean that the Panther girls’ water polo team isn’t primed for success. Only five players return from last year’s team that made the CCS playoffs, but Burlingame has shown no indication of slowing down.

“We have played in two very competitive tournaments and have made great improvements on the defensive end,” head coach Suze Garnder said. “We are now working on stepping up our offense to get more people involved and to have a more dynamic attack.”

The team took some lumps early on in the Amanda McDonald Invitational, losing by nine goals to Menlo-Atherton last Friday.

The bulk of the Panthers’ offense has been coming from junior Charlotte Pratt, who has been a standout player at both ends of the pool. Her contributions to the team don’t end there, however.

“Pratt has been the inspirational leader with her tough and dedicated play,” Gardner said. Defensively, the team has been solid with senior goalkeeper Nicole Carlton anchoring the unit.

“Carlton has come on very strong and is playing with great confidence and reliability.”

Burlingame opened league play on Wednesday, with a narrow 8-7 win over Menlo School.

Story by Kevin Scarpati.  Questions or Suggestions?  Please e-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .