The Cupertino Courier
Sports
Hui leads Mats to win over Fremont in title game
By MIKE BARNHART
With the final seconds of the final game in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division girls water polo tournament ticking away, Monta Vista junior Amanda Hui fired a shot from mid-pool. The ball found its mark with only one-half of a second left to play, breaking a 9-9 tie and the hearts of the Fremont Firebirds.
Hui's sixth goal of the game lifted Monta Vista to a 10-9 championship game victory, Nov. 4 at Lynbrook, and the division's lone invitation to the Central Coast Section playoffs. At the same time, the stunning goal sank the hopes of Fremont, which had survived 16 El Camino games without a loss--14 in the regular season plus a pair in last week's tourney at Lynbrook.
After whipping Harker 14-4 in the first round and edging Homestead 7-5 in the semifinals, Fremont rarely was behind in the finale, although the game was tied on seven occasions. Fremont led by one at the end of each of the first three periods, including 8-7 entering the final seven minutes.
The Firebirds scored first in the fourth quarter, going up 9-7, but Hui tallied twice, including the game-tying marker with 1:18 remaining. After calling timeout with 22 seconds to go, Fremont missed a shot. Monta Vista regained possession with eight seconds left and got the ball to Hui for the decisive shot.
While Monta Vista's scoring came mainly from the perimeter, Fremont pounded the ball into the hole-set position. The Firebirds picked up six goals there, four from junior Julia Sterling. Senior Samantha Ellis scored three goals and junior Chelsea Lofland added one.
While the Matadors improved to 16-5 overall, Fremont's outstanding season ended with an 18-3 record.
Homestead, which used five goals to beat Cupertino 6-3 in a first-round match, recovered from the semifinal loss to Fremont and nipped Lynbrook, 7-6, in the third-place game.
Jenny Coryell and Melissa Sullivan both scored twice for the Mustangs. Teammates Audrey Chu, Kendall Buhk and Jesse Bergman had one goal each. Homestead finished 12-13.
