Boys High School Team Drops Home Opener in OT

The Bainbridge Spartans boys water polo team opened their 2025 season with a thriller at home, but ultimately fell 10-6 in overtime to visiting Roosevelt. Regulation ended in a 6-6 deadlock before the Roughriders pulled away in the extra period.

Scoring Breakdown

The Spartans’ attack was led by Lucas Cuellar-Carpenter and Beckett Lipton, who each netted two goals. Ryan Rich and Jonas Fritzsche added one apiece. In his high school debut, Sky Hart impressed by distributing two key assists, setting up the offense with confidence and composure.

Defensive Effort

Anchoring the defense, freshman goalkeeper Oren Screen recorded 10 blocks and 3 steals, keeping Bainbridge within striking distance throughout the night. The Spartans’ field defense was equally active: Ryan Rich collected 8 steals, Beckett Lipton added 4, and Jonas Fritzsche chipped in 3 more to disrupt Roosevelt’s rhythm.

From the Coach

Head Coach Kristin Gellert praised her team’s effort despite the tough result:

“It’s never easy to come up short in overtime, but games like this build character early in the season. We saw fight, we saw grit, and the outcome just added fuel to the fire for our team. We’ve refocused and are ready to attack the season, aiming to go from 0-1 to #1.”

Looking Ahead

With one of the most competitive schedules in the state, the Spartans will use this early test as a springboard for growth. The team hits the water again later this week, determined to turn lessons learned into their first win of the season. The Spartans will face the defending State Champs, Curtis Vikings, at home on Tuesday, September 16th at 7:45 PM at the Ray Pool at the Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center.