Coach Mark Walsh had a pretty good idea of how things were going to turn out for his Santa Barbara High girls water polo team on Saturday morning.
With none of last year’s starters returning, the Dons were going to have to take their lumps from Corona del Mar, a team which Walsh considers the best in the country.
Mackenzy Fowler scored a pair of goals in the fourth quarter to stave off the shutout, but the visiting Sea Queens prevailed 10-2 on a sunny December morning on the Dons’ pool deck.
“Obviously, we knew what we were up against. I think they have eight Division-I prospects and we only have one girl that can drive,” said Walsh. “Our goal was to not let them score on transition and to not let them score out of two meters.”
CDM only managed one goal in transition and scored twice outside of two meters. On offense, the Dons struggled mainly because of the size and speed of the Sea Queens, and the shot clock seemed to tick away too fast on the Dons’ possessions.
“I thought we did a pretty good job, and we played about as good as we could,” said Walsh, who has coached a wealth of top-rated teams himself at Santa Barbara High.
“If we ultimately want to be at their level, we now know what it’ll take,” said Walsh.
The Dons open up league play against Ventura a week from Tuesday.
CORONA DEL MAR 10, SANTA BARBARA 2
Corona del Mar….4 2 3 1 — 10
Santa Barbara……0 0 0 2 — 2
CDM—Berra 3, Money 1, Vanitiel 1, Kennedy 2, Kaczmarck 1, Forman 2.
SB—Fowler 2.
Goalie Saves—SB: Wise 2
Team Records—SB 1-1, CDM 2-0.
