SBHS Goalie Maddie Trabucco
A win over Laguna Beach and a loss to Corona del Mar gave the Santa Barbara High girls water polo team sixth place on Saturday at the SoCal Championships in Irvine. Freshman sensation Kelsey O’Brien was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
The Dons beat Laguna Beach 9-4 in the morning, going up 7-0 a minute before halftime and cruising the rest of the way. Maddie Trabucco had 11 saves in three quarters while Leah Gonzales had five assists in the game. Olivia Cusimano got the Dons off to a strong start with two goals in the first quarter.
Santa Barbara’s shooting suffered against Corona del Mar, leading to a 9-6 loss. O’Brien had two goals, two assists, two steals and four ejections drawn, while Charlotte Hendrix, Makenzy Fowler and Gonzales each had a goal and an assist. The Dons shot just 20-percent on the game, including micues on a penalty shot and four man-up situations.
Coach Mark Walsh said that his team is definietly better for having played in the tournament.
“Most definitely, because we’ve been playing good offense, which is what we’ve been lacking. We’ve always played well defensively. We’re confident with CIF around the corner, which we need to be because in this division you play somebody good real quick,” he said.
The Dons (15-10) have Senior Day on Wednesday as they host Ventura.
Leah Gonzales (photos courtesy of Peter Trabucco).
