Route 66 vs Mid Valley | LACWP Tournament Game 4 of 5

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Route 66	0	1	2	5 🔥	8
Mid Valley	1	1	4 ⚡	1	7

Player Reports

#14

Kelly

Forward · 14U

⭐ MVP

Goals

Assists

Shots

66.7%

Pct

Shot Efficiency66.7%

Game's standout performer. Scored in Q3 to keep the team alive then erupted for 3 goals in Q4 to lead the comeback from 3–6. Two Q4 goals on the same Ben Brown combination that Mid Valley couldn't solve twice.

✅ Elite finishing under pressure. Carried the Q4 comeback.

⚠️ Shot selection in early quarters — several opportunities passed.

#11

EJ Olea

Point / Hole D · 12U

🔑 Clutch

Goals

Assists

Shots

50.0%

Pct

Shot Efficiency50.0%

Primary ball-handler all game. Both goals in Q4 at the highest-pressure moments: tying at 6–6 and clinching at 8–6. Q3 assist on Ben Brown's goal kept Route 66 within range.

✅ Clutch when it counts. 50% conversion rate is elite.

⚠️ Only 4 shots despite constant ball-handling. More perimeter shooting needed.

Benjamin Brown

Field · 14U

💯 100%

Goals

Assists

Shots

100%

Pct

Shot Efficiency100%

Quietly one of the best performances. His 2 Q4 assists — both feeding Kelly — cracked open Mid Valley's defense and started the run from 3–6 to 5–6. Added a Q3 goal at 100% efficiency.

✅ Found the right combination with Kelly when it mattered most.

⚠️ Could generate more shot attempts when in good position.

Thomas Clarke

Wing · 12U

💯 100%

Goals

Assists

Shots

100%

Pct

Shot Efficiency100%

Scored Route 66's only first-half goal in Q2 — kept the deficit at 1 at halftime instead of 2. Consistent wing presence, distributing cleanly and tracking back defensively.

✅ Clutch Q2 goal kept the team in it at halftime.

⚠️ Shot volume — 1 attempt in a full game leaves opportunities on the table.

Joshua Gomez

Hole Set · 12U

🔑 Key Assist

Goals

Assists

Shots

Pct

Shot Volume (5 attempts)0%

Tough matchup day. Frequently doubled in the 2-meter position and struggled to get clean turns. His assist on the go-ahead goal in Q4 was the contribution that mattered most.

✅ Kept competing through a scoreless day. Key assist on the go-ahead 7–6 goal.

⚠️ More shot variety from the hole — fakes, varied releases, drawing exclusions.

Ryan Rivas

Goalkeeper · 12U

🧤 GK

★

Saves

Assists

Role

Held the team in contention all game. Every outlet pass set up Route 66's transition offense. His GK assist to EJ on the 8–6 clinching goal showed elite awareness.

✅ Smart distribution turned saves into instant transition opportunities.

⚠️ Q3 was tough — 4 goals allowed. Work on positioning for perimeter shots.

Daniel

Field · 14U

Goals

Assists

Active participant in offensive structure.

✅ Team-first presence.

⚠️ Build involvement and shot attempts.

Adam Reyes

Field · 12U

Goals

Assists

Shots

Pct

Subbed in Q2, took 1 shot. Showed up ready.

✅ Available and ready when called upon.

⚠️ Increase involvement and shot volume when on the field.

—

Leo Gutierrez

Field · 12U

Goals

Assists

Shots

Pct

Contributed to offensive structure.

✅ Active positioning and movement.

⚠️ Look to create more shot opportunities.

Quarter Breakdown

Q1 First Quarter 0 – 1

▼

Mid Valley strikes first on a transition goal. Ryan Rivas holds firm with key saves that keep the deficit to one. Route 66 creates hole-set chances but the Mid Valley goalkeeper comes up big in the clutch. End of Q1: Route 66 0 – Mid Valley 1.

Q2 Second Quarter 1 – 2 at Half

▼

Mid Valley extends their lead to 0–2. Thomas Clarke responds with Route 66's only first-half goal — a critical moment that keeps the halftime deficit at one instead of two. Ryan Rivas makes 3 consecutive saves to prevent Mid Valley from pulling away. Halftime: Route 66 1 – Mid Valley 2.

Q3 Third Quarter 3 – 6 ⚡ Surge

▼

Mid Valley erupts with 4 goals — their best quarter of the game. Kelly answers once to keep Route 66 alive. EJ Olea assists Benjamin Brown's goal to keep Route 66 within range at 3–5. But Mid Valley closes the quarter strong for a 3-goal lead. End of Q3: Route 66 3 – Mid Valley 6. The comeback is needed.

Q4 🔥 Fourth Quarter — THE COMEBACK Final: 8 – 7 ✓

▼

Down 3 goals with one quarter left. What followed was one of the great youth water polo comebacks. Kelly + Ben Brown combination fires to make it 4–6. Ryan Rivas makes a crucial save to sustain momentum. Kelly strikes again: 5–6. EJ Olea ties it at 6–6 (Kelly assist). Kelly drives Route 66 ahead at 7–6 (Josh Gomez assist on the go-ahead). EJ Olea seals the win at 8–6 (Ryan Rivas GK assist). Mid Valley adds a consolation. Final: Route 66 8 – Mid Valley 7. 🎉

The Comeback

⚡ Down 3 — One Quarter Left ⚡

The Q4 Miracle

From the edge of defeat to a historic win — step by step

3 – 6

End of Q3. Route 66 trails by 3. Down 3 goals in a water polo game with one quarter left. The odds aren't good.

4 – 6

Kelly strikes first in Q4 — assisted by Benjamin Brown. The Ben Brown → Kelly combination is born. Gap is 2.

→

Ryan Rivas makes a crucial save. Momentum stays with Route 66. The crowd feels it.

5 – 6

Kelly again — same combination, same result. Mid Valley has no answer. Gap is 1.

6 – 6 ⚡ TIED

EJ Olea scores — Kelly with the assist. The tying goal. The pool erupts.

7 – 6 🔝 LEAD

Kelly takes the lead — Joshua Gomez with the go-ahead assist. Route 66 is now ahead for the first time all game.

8 – 6

EJ Olea clinches it — Ryan Rivas GK assist. The goalkeeper starts the play, EJ finishes it.

🏆 FINAL: Route 66 8 — Mid Valley 7

Five goals in Q4. Down 3. Never stopped fighting. That's Route 66 Aquatics.

🎬 Play Highlights

Designed Play — Executed Twice

Ben Brown → Kelly: The Wet Pass & Tip

Benjamin Brown sends a sharp flat pass to Kelly at the 2-meter area. Kelly doesn't catch it — he times his positioning so the ball arrives exactly at his hand and he redirects it one-touch straight into the net. No catch. No aim. Just a tip. The goalkeeper is still tracking the pass when the ball is already past her.

They ran this exact combination twice in the same quarter — the 4–6 and 5–6 goals that started the comeback. Either they've drilled it or they read each other that naturally. Either way, it's the play that cracked the game open.

⚡ Wet Pass & Tip #1 — 4–6

Ben Brown pass · Kelly tip-in · Route 66 4–6 · Comeback begins

⚡ Wet Pass & Tip #2 — 5–6

Same combination · Same result · Mid Valley had no answer

🎯 Thomas Clarke #7 — Q2 Goal · Slow Motion

Shot Analysis: Forehand overhand shot taken head-on with the goal — ball held high, right arm fully extended above head. Two defenders closing hard from both sides left no lane to the wing. Thomas read the situation instantly, committed to the shot, and placed it just over the goalkeeper's outstretched right hand into the top of the net. The margin was razor thin — and he hit it. A mental game moment as much as a technical one.

✅ Strengths: Outstanding decision-making under pressure — two defenders closing, no time to hesitate, shot chosen and executed immediately. Perfect placement just above the goalkeeper's reach. Held the ball high to maximize release point.
⚠️ Development: More eggbeater height — additional vertical elevation increases the release point and widens the margin over the goalkeeper's hands. Compress the time from ball pickup to release so closing defenders have even less time to react. Keep developing this head-on shot as a practiced weapon, not just a situational play.

🔥 EJ Olea #11 — The Tying Goal · 6–6

The Moment: Down 5–6, Route 66 needed someone to step up. Kelly found EJ in the hole, and EJ converted to tie the game at 6–6 — swinging the momentum completely. From that point Mid Valley never led again.

✅ Strengths: Composure under maximum pressure. This is the goal that shifted the entire game — he didn't rush it, didn't force it. Quick release in a crowded area with defenders closing.
⚠️ Development: Continue working the hole-set position — the combination of receiving under pressure and finishing decisively is a skill that needs repetition to become automatic.

🛡️ EJ Olea #11 — Defensive Interception

Play Analysis: EJ reads a cross-field pass, positions himself in the lane, and uses his long reach to intercept with a full one-arm overhead extension — fingertip contact deflects the ball and wins possession for Route 66. He was mid-transition when the play happened, not yet fully set in eggbeater, but still generated enough lift to get the arm up and make the play.

✅ Strengths: Elite court vision and anticipation. Long reach is a genuine physical weapon — this play doesn't happen without it. Takes possession away from Mid Valley at a key moment.
⚠️ Development: When time allows, get fully set in eggbeater before the reach — a locked-in vertical position would get the arm even higher and turn a fingertip deflection into a clean catch.

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Score
1	Apr 25 (Sat)	Commerce	L	6–18
2	Apr 25 (Sat)	Renegades	L	5–13
3	Apr 25 (Sat)	Conqueror	L	11–14
4 ← THIS GAME	Apr 26 (Sun)	Mid Valley 14U Girls	W ✅	8–7
5	Apr 26 (Sun)	LACUWP Black 14U	L	7–11

Route 66 Boys vs Mid Valley 14U Girls

The Q4 Miracle