by Ryan MacDonald
Special to the Times
Being wet and cold is something the women’s water polo team is used to, and on Saturday the Leopards demonstrated that ability by not allowing the torrential rains or the mercurial temperatures to defeat their spirits in their season-opening tournament.
After enduring in the unfavorable weather for several hours, the Leopards enjoyed their season’s first two victories.
“Beginning our season with two big wins is important to our confidence,” said junior goalie Maria De Santis. “We know that we can play well, but we just have to execute our plays and dominate the pace of the game in order to be successful. This weekend we did just that.”
The Leopards compiled their two victories over teams from Caltech and Chapman, and even with the difficult weather conditions, the Leopards played with more experience than in previous years.
“We have experience and we are now veteran players,” said junior driver Summer Hammons. “Most of our players have played together for two years and that makes a big difference in the way we communicate and play our games.”
The Leopards hosted last weekend’s round robin tournament with teams from Cal State San Bernardino, Caltech and Chapman.
The Leopards faced the Caltech Beavers in their first game, and after four quarters of play, they were easily victorious, 11-3. In their second game, the Leopards defeated the Chapman Panthers in a score of 12-3.
With a significant amount of more girls than their first two years, the Leopards are able to play more effectively.
“We can take out our starters and put in more good players and that makes a big difference,” said Hammons. “We have a lot of options. Five out of our six players can play set, and that just shows that we are a well-rounded team.”
Opening the first half domination without allowing the Beavers to score any goals, the Leopards maintained a high level of play because all of the starters received equal amount of playing time.
“By having more girls on the team, we are able to play fresh. We are always able to play hard to the finish,” said De Santis.
In their second game, the Leopards continued the strong offensive and defensive tactics, never allowing the Panthers to threaten the lead.
Though no other official conference teams played this weekend, the Leopards are optimistic that when they begin to face tougher opponents within their league, they will be able to compete with them.
“We are going to do well. We are really strong,” said De Santis. “We have the potential to win conference.”
The Leopards will travel to UC San Diego this weekend to compete against the host team and Cal State Bakersfield.
