Cate’s Greg Cusack led Cate with five goals on Wednesday.
Cate School unveiled its newly minted Emmett Horowitz Aquatic Center on Wednesday, the culmination of a multi-year project on the Carpinteria campus. The only thing the school couldn’t plan was the outcome of its first water polo match, which ended up a 15-7 loss to Villanova.
“Villanova every year, for the last three or four years, has gotten better and better,” said Rams head coach Nathan Alldredge, who lost his top three scorers from last year’s team.
Eddie Campana scored a team-high four times for the Wildcats, three of them in the first quarter. Nico Navarro served as a virtual backstop in the cage, collecting double-digit saves with 12 for Villanova.
Villanova outscored the Rams 4-1 in each of the first three quarters, never giving Cate even a taste of momentum until the final quarter. That’s when Cate was able to break out for four goals.
“We got our second wind and we started fighting more, being more aggressive, and I think that’s really what helped us,” said Rams junior Greg Cusack, talking about defense.
Cusack recorded five of Cate’s seven goals on the day, with Brian Warren and Robert Fairbanks adding one each.
It was the Tri-Valley League opener for the Rams, who played only their second match of the season. In comparison, Villanova was playing its 18th game and now holds a 10-8 record.
Campana set the tone for the seasoned Wildcats, breaking an early 1-1 tie by connecting for three quick scores to close out the first quarter. He made it four straight early in second quarter by finding teammate Milos McPhee wide open in front of the net with a lob pass.
Cusack broke the streak to make it 5-2, but Campana scored his fourth and final goal next to start the Wildcats on another run. Villanova built its biggest lead to 10-2 in the third quarter.
“They’re very good. They have very good counterattacks,” Cusack said, having seen his team get burned on the counter twice in the first quarter for easy Villanova scores.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Rams with Malibu, the No. 3 team in Division VI, next on the schedule.
