Water polo dives into season cold
Campus Times
March 5, 2004
The women’s water polo team played its first game against Cal State
Hayward on Saturday at the La Verne Aquatic Center. Hayward’s driver Jessica
Araujo (No. 3) blocks against University of La Verne driver Kari Erickson. La
Verne lost the game, 5-3, to the Pioneers.
The women’s water polo team began its season with a 5-3 loss to the much
more experienced team from Cal State Hayward Saturday at the La Verne Aquatic
Center.
The Leopards, who have only held five practices due to the end of the swimming
and diving season, performed well but were unable to keep up with the Pioneers
of CSUH, who have played 15 games leading up to Saturday’s contest.
“It is just going to take time to put it all together,” head coach
Tim Hugar said.
The team was down 2-1 at the half and came back and scored two more goals.
That was not enough, however, to match the three goals scored by Hayward,
making the game 5-3.
Junior goalie Jessica Figgins made nine saves throughout the game.
Freshmen Jessica Egbert and Valerie Keehmer, and junior Kristin McKown scored
goals for the Leopards.
The team, which Hugar said is evenly matched, does not seem to have one star
player.
“A lot of people did some good things out there today,” he said.
“I think we performed well,” Egbert said. “We have some work
to do, but if we keep it up we will do well.”
Most of the players seem to share the same view.
They were at a disadvantage having been together for such a short period of
time before their first game.
“If we had more practice we could have won. We just need more time together,”
freshman Lynea Loeffler said.
The team is very young with only one junior.
Coach Hugar said as a team they can make a lot of improvements on everything,
but sees the potential in such a young group.
This weekend the Leopards travel north to take on Sonoma State and UC Santa
Cruz.
