Girls’ water polo ends season with victories

October 21, 2022 — by Stephanie Sun and Sarah Zhou
Photo by Michelle Wang
Junior wing Amaris Charton looks down the pool for a releasing player.
Despite having several key players out throughout the season, the team found some success through their team chemistry and improvements from new players.

On their Oct. 20 senior night, the girls’ water polo team came up with a 9-5 win against Monta Vista. Two days earlier they captured a 5-2 win against Cupertino. The pair of wins gave them a 5-9 record in the El Camino division. Next week, the team will play three more times in a league tournament on Oct. 24, Oct. 25 and Oct. 27 in order to establish their final league rankings. 

During the season, the Falcons adjusted to various challenges, including the absences of key players senior goalie Rosie Kline and junior hole set Ryder Gangemi in several games due to injuries and prior commitments. The effects of the absences were exacerbated by the team numbers, with only 10 players in total making up the varsity team. As a result, many younger players found themselves gaining more experience and playing harder — including sophomore flat Cassidy Coghlan. 

“We’ve had some major skill improvements throughout the season, especially with new players getting more confident as the season has gone on — the great team chemistry really helps them,” Coghlan said.

One key victory players noted was their game against Santa Clara on Sept. 22, when the team won 4-1 while missing key players like Gangemi, Kline and senior left wing Afsoon Modiri. Without subs, the team had to work harder. 

“I think I’ve really developed as a player and connected to the team,” junior wing Victoria Le said. “Even though a lot of our players have been sick, people have really stepped up.”

Despite all the challenges, Le said their camaraderie and morale remained fairly consistent under the leadership of Coach Mike Allegretti

“We have a lot of hopes for the rest of the season and for next year,” Le said. “I feel like our future is in good hands.”

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