CC Flaherty
Staff Writer
The women’s water polo struggled to keep up with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Wednesday at the La Verne Aquatic Center, leading to a 20-5 loss.
This was the Leopards’ first time facing off against the Athenas this year for conference play. They put their best foot forward despite missing some players due to illness.
“Just making sure we had all the ladies in the water and giving it 110%. Whatever illnesses they have or without you know, they did a great job…they all played the entire game and finished it off,” head coach Robert Echeverria said.
During the first quarter, the Athenas jumped on the Leopards from the start with seven goals being scored in the first 8 minutes of the match.
The Leopards responded with senior attacker Reiley Burton scoring the first two goals.
“I was excited to get better. I know they’re a really good team and I think it was a good opportunity for us to work on things and just get better for our next game,” Burton said.
In the second quarter the Leopards kept good movement of the ball and great passing which led to senior center Brianna Zapata contributing a goal.
The Athenas’ communication and consistency frustrated the Leopards, causing them to turn over the ball and get penalty calls against them.
“Every quarter we were just trying to push to move more. They are a really good defensive team but any defense can be broken down if you are moving,” Zapata said. “I think that we got a little stagnant because they are a heavy defensive team when the opposite should have been to move more.”
In the third quarter the Leopards were still down, 10-3, and were in a struggle on offense. The Athenas were moving fast and aggressively to the ball, beating the Leopards’ reach.
The Leopards kept pushing through when junior attacker Brooklyn Young got in on the action scoring a goal.
“We need to do whatever we can defensively to stop them from scoring and then continue to produce on offense,” Young said. “We have been really trying to work on movement and get passes. Also having everyone have a turn on defense and offense and just playing our best and doing that the entire game.”
The Leopards were still down, 15-4, in the fourth quarter and the Athenas continued to be all gas and no breaks on offense, scoring five more goals.
The Leopards’ record moves to 4-13 overall and 3-3 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The team will be on the road next to continue with their conference play at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Allred Aquatics Center against Chapman.
CC Flaherty can be reached at catherine.flaherty@laverne.edu.
CC Flaherty is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine, and a junior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is also a broadcast announcer for La Verne Athletics and has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Ethan Anderson is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. He is the LV Life editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times, and a staff writer and photographer for La Verne Magazine. He has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times. As a lifelong student-athlete, he has picked up valuable skills that he seeks to apply in his career in public relations, and ultimately make an impact.
