Westlake Again Falls Just Short Against Fox Lane

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Westlake swim team faced Fox Lane for the second time in a month on Thursday and again fell just short of earning its first victory of the season.

Fox Lane (5-0) defeated Westlake, 94-89, at Pace University. Westlake (0-4) coach Anthony Pizzolla said the close result does not add any more pain to the loss.

“They’re a very good team, Fox Lane. We were close last (time) we swam against them,” Pizzolla said. “Excellent team. My boys didn’t give up one moment and they did the best they can. No complaints. They’re just a super team. We just came up a little short.”

The loss, though, is not without at least some consequence. Pizzolla said he and his team will make some adjustments in pursuit of that elusive first win.

“We’re going to look at changing up some events maybe not for the first or second place events, but maybe for some third place points, perhaps,” Pizzolla said. “We’ll see. We’re going to talk about it tomorrow and talk to the captains and see what we can do.”

Fox Lane coach Carolyn Johnson tried a unique strategy during the holiday break as her team did not swim in a pool. Some went on a training trip with the United States Swimming team, some went on vacations and others did dry runs on land.

That strategy seemed to pay off on Thursday.

“I think it did, just in the fact that the guys were able to rest a little bit,” Johnson said. “Being in the water all the time can really, really exhaust them.”

Johnson said she thinks the close win will help her team for the remainder of the season.

“It gets them pumped,” Johnson said. “It makes them realize that nothing is ever going to be an easy win.”

The Foxes will next face Horace Greeley on Tuesday in a matchup of undefeated teams. Johnson offered her preliminary thoughts on that meet after Thursday’s win.

“If we don’t place first, we have to take second, third and fourth,” Johnson said. “Then, mathematically, we can win," she said. "Second, third and fourth is what I’m looking for if we don’t take the win. If they do win the event, it can’t be fourth, fifth. It can’t be fifth, sixth.”

Johnson hopes that diver Connor Farrell, who has been dealing with a ruptured eardrum, will be able to return to action against Horace Greeley. She also said her relay teams need to improve.

“Our relays have to be a lot stronger than they’ve been,” Johnson said. “They really have to be on top of their game.”

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