The Mercer Island girls water polo team fell to rival Bainbridge on Friday in a game which determined playoff placing. The final score was 7-4.

The Islanders were without several key players in the match, said coach Matt Jones, but he hoped other players would step into the spotlight.

Bainbridge picked up four points in the opening period and grabbed a fifth unanswered point in the second period. Mercer Island responded in the third period with three points, keeping Bainbridge scoreless for seven minutes. The Islanders picked up a fourth in the last minutes of the game, while Bainbridge went on to score twice more. Goals for the Islanders were scored by Christina Weed, a senior who scored three times and junior Stephanie Hammond.

Prior to the game, Jones said the team was prepping for the playoffs by working on offense.

“Overall, we’re working on offensive and passing under pressure,” Jones said. He added that the team had improved its offensive game, an area of uncertainly earlier in the season.

Heading into the postseason, Jones said he expected the team’s captains, Veronica Bone and Christina Weed, to set the team’s example.

“I hope they have the senior urgency,” said Jones. “I’m looking to them to step up. We’ve got a lot of sophomores on the team, so it will be interesting to see how they do with a bigger spotlight on them.”

While the game against Bainbridge determined placing for the playoffs, Jones said the next several games were all important in the playoff picture.

“It’s a do or die situation,” he said heading into the postseason.

The girls water polo team will play this Thursday at Edgebrook Pool in the semifinals.

Earlier in the week, the Islanders beat Shorewood, 9-3. The team scored three points in each of the first three periods, while defensively keeping Shorewood to only three points in the same timeframe.

“We’re a defense-oriented team,” said Jones before the Bainbridge match.

Against Shorewood, Weed, Bone, Laura Horton and Caroline Condiotty each scored once. Junior Hailey March had five points during the match.

Visit the Reporter’s Web site, www.mi-reporter.com, for continuing coverage of the postseason.