Enumclaw High ran into the 2008 state champion Curtis High and runner-up Gig Harbor during regular-season action to finish the season at 15-5 overall and 8-2 in the East Division of the South Sound Girls Water Polo League. Now, the Hornets face Gig Harbor again in the quest for the 2009 state title, which begins at 3:30 p.m. against the Tides at Rogers High in Puyallup. Competition continues Friday and Saturday.

Enumclaw has qualified for the state tournament for the past four years, finishing sixth in 2006, and fifth in 2007 and 2008.

The Hornets played their last game of the regular season Thursday, against the Tides, and lost 11-3. Gig Harbor placed second in last year’s state tournament.

Gig Harbor scored three goals in the first two and a half minutes of play before the Hornets defense tightened and Lindsay Bowden put EHS on the board on a penalty shot with 3:21 left in the opening period.

The Tides scored three more goals in the second quarter. Tianna Hogan scored one minute into the third period, but Gig Harbor scored three more during the period to take a 9-3 lead entering the final period. In the final quarter, Gig Harbor scored two more, and held the Hornets scoreless.

Bowden led EHS in scoring with two goals and Hogan had the other. Goalkeeper Shaye Hogerhuis had 17 saves; four field players also registered blocked shots, Kelsey Sonneson, Erin Stucker, Hogan and Kelsey Brazier.

It was two-time defending state champion Curtis that got the best of EHS 19-4 May 5.

The Hornet defense slowed the Viking offense for most of the first period and trailed by a slim 3-1 margin at the end of one quarter. But the Vikings put on a show during the second quarter, scoring eight goals while holding Enumclaw scoreless. Curtis knocked in eight more before the final buzzer.

Bowden was high scorer for the Hornets with three goals, while Kaitlyn Korsch scored another. Hogerhuis had 19 saves and one assist.

The Hornets picked up a 15-8 league victory May 6 against Auburn. A gritty Auburn team kept the game close for three quarters, but the Hornets scored seven and held the Trojans to a single goal in the final period to secure the win.

Hogan was first to score with a goal 16 seconds into the game. The two teams traded goals through the opening period until Hogan scored her third goal of the game with 20 seconds left in the quarter to take a 4-3 lead.

After a close second quarter, Auburn took a 7-6 advantage into halftime. The Hornets recovered the lead during the third quarter as Bowden scored two goals and Auburn went scoreless.

The Hornet offense went into high gear in the final quarter as Bowden scored four goals and Stucker scored three.