Hannah Koper and the San Marcos girls water polo team made it clear early in Tuesday’s game against Ventura that it was going to be the Royals’ day.
Koper tossed in three of her game-high five goals in first period and the Royals romped to a 13-4 win that clinched third place in the Channel League and a CIF playoff berth.
The Royals (9-7, 3-2) came out on fire and never let up, holding Ventura scoreless until the third period. They led 8-0 at halftime and 12-2 after three periods.
“Today we came out and definitely took care of business,” San Marcos coach Chuckie Roth said. “I was really proud of our kids in the way they approached this game. They came out shooting and playing their style of water polo. They defended really well and the rest is history.”
The Royals were coming off a two-goal loss at Fountain Valley, the No. 10-ranked team in CIF Division 1. In that game, they missed several shots.
That wasn’t the case on Tuesday, as Koper was on target from the start.
Rose Koper, Natalie Chilton, Brittny Hummel and Halie Johnson each scored two goals for the Royals.
“We were really excited to get out and play,” Hannah Koper said. “(Ventura) has always been our rival. We wanted to get out quick.”
The resounding victory was a good confidence boost for the postseason.
“Our goal every year is to get in CIF,” Koper said. “We played really great today. This is a good way to get into the playoffs.”
