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No. 6 Grace Tehaney takes a shot on goal Photos Gint Federas
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September ushered in the beginning of girls water polo season and with it came the Acalanes Invitational over Labor Day weekend. Acalanes, Campolindo, and Miramonte all made a showing at the first tournament of the year.
Campolindo played perennial powerhouse San Ramon Valley (SRV) in the championship match, but ultimately fell 14-2.
"This year's team carries with them the legacy of the past, but the excitement of an entirely new beginning," Campo Head Coach Kim Everist said via email before the tournament.
Both Campo and Miramonte graduated a number of key players and will rely on a new crop of talent this fall. The Dons' roster, conversely, remains mostly intact.
"I think we're prime to have a pretty good season," said Acalanes Head Coach Mischa Buchel. "We only graduated one senior last year, so we have a pretty strong team coming back. Everyone had a great club season, so we're optimistic on that front."
The Dons' offense is led by Hannah Kresnak, Emma Myalle and Brooke Alsterlind. They put up some great stats at last week's invitational, beating Drake 12-8 and Amador Valley 14-7. The Dons fell to Campo 7-4, despite nearly mustering a comeback. In the third-place match, the Dons fell to Miramonte 10-5.
For their part, the Cougars look poised for another competitive season. Campo is armed with strong shooters in freshman Zoe Crouch, sophomore Lauren Etnyre, and junior Olivia Price. They started off the Acalanes tournament with a commanding 17-3 win over Tamalpais, scoring eight goals in the first quarter alone. Goalie Becca Buck served up tough defense in the cage with 14 saves.
In their second match, they beat Gunn High School 11-7, before stifling the Dons in the semifinal. Victorious, the Cougars set off against SRV in the final match, but were quickly outpaced in goal-scoring by SRV's large, experienced squad, who scored five times in the first quarter alone. Buck had seven saves, and both Price and Olivia were able to squeeze in a goal for the second place finish.
"There is a lot to learn," Everist commented during the tournament. However, she's far from worried about her team. "We stay focused on what we as a team need to do - they've adapted well, and completely buy into our team motto of Team First, Self Last."
This past week, Campo beat Monte Vista 8-7 in a Friday night showdown. Then, on Sunday, they beat Davis 9-5 in a home non-conference match.
When asked about Campo's toughest competition this year, Everist commented on the changing landscape of girl's water polo in the area. "All the teams look different than they did last year with so many great seniors graduating," she said. "No one should be overlooked."
The Mats rolled into the invitational with a heavy fan base of parents and friends, and had one of the more heart-wrenching losses of the tournament against SRV in their own semifinal game.
Miramonte clobbered Menlo School in their first match with a 20-0 shutout, with 10 goals alone in the first quarter of play. They rolled to another easy win over Monte Vista by a score of 12-8.
Against SRV, the Mats faltered early, but soon gained ground with a series of goals in the second and third quarters, bringing the score to 7-4 in the fourth. A quick succession of goals brought the Mats within one point of tying the match, but SRV ran out the clock with their final possession and advanced to the final.
Sophomore standout Katrina Drake, who was also the girls 15-18 high point winner at the Contra Costa County Championship meet this summer, proved fearsome for Miramonte, scoring two goals in their match against SRV. Sophomores Grace Tehaney, Drake, and Carson Broad led the team with 11, seven and six goals, respectively. Broad and fellow sophomore Kristina Murphy also had seven assists apiece over the weekend of play (Murphy contributed five goals as well).
The Mats will next face Las Lomas in Walnut Creek on Sept. 24.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA