They came. They swam. They conquered.

History was made in the Tracy High pool Tuesday, as the West High boys water polo team used seven goals from Dan Kaufmann and another five from Justin Pankratz to defeat Tracy 15-6 for the Wolf Pack’s first varsity-level win over the Bulldogs.

“We finally got it,” Pankratz said. “For us seniors, it was our last game against them, ever.”

For the Wolf Pack, the win was perhaps months in the making. Under new coach Matt Gumpert, West spent long summer weeks in the pool, and that extra conditioning — plus Gumpert’s game plan — might have been the difference.

An effective zone defense kept Tracy shooting from the perimeter, rather than close to net. Kaufman and Pankratz were both deadly from the 2-meter position — the player right in front of the opposing goal — and Tracy’s defense was rewarded with repeated penalties, culminating in three kick-outs.

“We were man down a lot — it made it that more difficult,” Tracy coach Mike Woodward said. “And when we were man-up, we weren’t able to capitalize.”

The game started out even enough, with the score tied 2-2 after the first quarter. Ryan Donelson’s lob over Tracy goalkeeper Quintin Carey gave West the lead with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining and Kaufman made it 4-2 44 seconds later.

But Tracy responded with a Robert Merges to Neil Thakor one-timer to stay within one, and the two teams traded goals thereafter until the half.

West’s dominance from the 2-meter spot allowed the Wolf Pack to pull away in the second half. Kaufmann scored one of his three 5-meter penalty shot goals at the 2:35 mark, and West goalie Bo Delang saved a Tracy 5-meter effort.

Another Thakor tally pulled Tracy to within 8-6 with 6:33 left in the game, but with the momentum going West’s way — and Tracy’s more experienced defenders kicked out of the pool — the Wolf Pack piled it on late to win 15-6.

“It feels weird,” Thakor said, when asked about the role reversals. “West was always a pushover, you know Now it’s a challenge.”

Thakor finished with three goals for Tracy (0-1). Donelson added two and Emiel Shaap one for West (1-0), a long-range lob.

JV

Tracy 12, West 5

Three goals from Ben Agee and two apiece from Chris St. Clair and Quintin Carey led the over West on Tuesday at the Tracy pool.

Daniel Pankratz notched a hat trick for West (0-1), and Alistar Shaw and Trenton Kreitzer both added goals.

Girls

Tracy 12, West 2

A heated and passionate game ended in a bizarre way Tuesday, as the officiating crew called a premature end to the Tracy-West highs girls water polo game with the Bulldogs leading, 12 to 2.

An incident between the referees and the West coaching staff brought the game to a temporary halt with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter, and, after an ejection, the referees elected to call the game.

“That was a unique way to start off a career,” said Tracy coach Keith Britt of his varsity water polo debut.

Regardless of how it ended, the game always seemed to be Tracy’s, as the Bulldogs were more physical and more aggressive from the opening whistle.

The first goal came only three seconds into the game, when Ali Berrien launched a shot past West’s Megan Slayton.

Tracy goalkeeper Mandy Culpepper fed Melissa Schaf for the game’s second goal five minutes later, and Culpepper was equal to nearly everything the Wolf Pack could throw at her.

“We were all here to play today,” Tracy’s Alyssa Britt said “It’s Tracy-West — you got to go out and give it your all. We were very pumped up.”

Katie Bertelson scored on a hook-shot to made the score 3-1 after Berrien scored again early in the second, but from there Tracy piled it on.

The Bulldogs got goals on several quick steal-and-scores, and the final tally could have been more lopsided had it not been for the crossbar, which Tracy hit six times.

“They’re a better team than we are,” West coach Al Carson said. “They started off too physical, a little too aggressive.”

Bertelson got West’s second goal, but by then the Bulldogs had a 10-point lead.

“It was a very good game,” Bertelson said. “Both reams played really well — that’s all I have to say, really.”

Berrien finished with four goals and three steals, and Melissa Schaf added three.

• To reach sports editor Christopher H. Roberts, call 830-4267 or e-mail croberts@tracypress.com.