VISTA – The Vista and Rancho Buena Vista water polo teams both had an opportunity to make a statement in Wednesday's Palomar League showdown at The Wave Waterpark.

With both teams trailing Carlsbad in the league standings, the game was a chance to prove who would be the Lancers' biggest challenger for a league title. Advantage: Vista.

After an even first quarter, in which both teams looked competitive, the Panthers dominated the final three with aggressive defense and nearly flawless play from goalie Taylor McWey to throttle the Longhorns, 12-4.

“Our defense was really strong,” said McWey, who had 13 blocks and two assists. “The field blockers were taking away the near side. That made my job easy.” The win gives Vista (12-7, 3-1) sole possession of second place in league, while RBV (12-7, 3-2) falls to third.

Carlsbad holds league wins over both teams, but the Panthers' 12-10 loss Oct. 8 was much more competitive than the Longhorns' 15-5 defeat.

“We want to win CIF,” McWey said. “This just gets us one step closer.” Vista shot out to a 2-0 lead in the first three minutes, thanks to goals from Keith Corcran and Wes Lacroix, who led all scorers with four goals apiece. But RBV answered back with two goals, including a 6-meter rocket by Ryan Hawkins to pull even after the first seven minutes.

Hawkins' goal would be the last for the Longhorns for quite a while, as McWey and the Vista defense shut them out over the next two periods. RBV went nearly 17 minutes without scoring a goal.

“For some reason, they weren't very aggressive today,” RBV head coach Adam Crosswhite said. “We really couldn't put the ball away when we got the shots. It was a little frustrating.”

As the Longhorns' offense faded, the Panthers' picked up more steam. Vista sniper Travis Duncan scored two of his three goals in the second period, including a perfectly executed lob over the outstretched arms of RBV goalie Connor Buckendahl.

The Panthers outscored the Longhorns 6-0 in the second and third periods. A big reason for RBV's offensive woes was the lack of production from No.1 scorer Patrick Scahill, whose game was nullified by the Vista defense. Scahill, who has 54 goals on the season, found the net just once.

“We frustrated their offense in the first half, and it led to more mistakes throughout the game,” Vista head coach Dave Spence said. “We look at this game as one of the big ones, especially because both teams are good this year. “We're looking for them to play better next time around.”

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