After a thrilling victory over Bellarmine on Wednesday, the water polo team is preparing for a pivotal rematch with Sacred Heart in the CCS Open Division finals. Photo courtesy of Pam Tso McKenney.

By Connor Van Ligten 

In a close matchup for the Knights water polo boys team, defense won out as Menlo defeated Bellarmine 7-6. The team will advance to the inaugural CCS Open Division Championship Finals against their rival Sacred Heart Prep, a rematch of last year’s championship bout.

Senior Niko Bhatia blocked two shots and stole the ball four times, while fellow senior Jayden Kunwar scored two goals. Junior Sam Untrecht came up big with three steals and 2 goals. Most important of all contributions was sophomore goalie Josh Poulos, who racked up 10 saves and even an assist.

The Knights will play top-seeded Sacred Heart Prep in the CCS Open Division Finals on Saturday, November 11th. Last year, the Gators won a thriller 13-9, and Sacred Heart won 14-8 earlier this season. Menlo will look for revenge on the big stage, as a victory would give them the possible chance of advancing to the Northern California Championships the following week.