Santa Barbara Water Polo Club’s U14 team members following their championship in Michigan.
Santa Barbara Water Polo?s 8th Grade and Under Girls Team won the 2012 Turbo Cup at the University of Michigan with a 10-3 victory over San Diego Shores on Sunday.
This is the club?s first ever victory in Water Polo?s Fall Classic. In a near perfect first quarter Santa Barbara built a 6-0 lead that they never relinquished. Superb team defense combined with outstanding goalie play held a powerful San Diego Shores team to just 3 goals.
Ryann Neushul scored the game-winning goal in the semifinals to help Santa Barbara defeat defending champion SoCal. SB defeated San Diego Shores in the title match on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Santa Barbara avenged their loss in last year?s championship with a 10-9 victory over Socal Water Polo Club. Santa Barbara relinquished a three-goal lead in the fourth quarter and finished the game tied. The two teams exchanged goals through two consecutive overtime periods until, after a time out with five seconds left on the clock, Santa Barbara ran a play and scored the game winner as time expired. The victory ended Socal?s three-year grasp on the Turbo Cup.
SB?s boys lost two and one-point games to Northwood and Lamorinda in bracket play on Friday that sent them into the 9th thru 12th bracket. They then defeated Chicago Park District, Stanford, and Naperville Water Polo (Illinois) to take 9th place at the 2012 Turbo Cup. With Northwood and Lamorinda finishing 3rd and 4th overall it was clear that Santa Barbara?s bracket was toughest in the tournament.
Both boys and girls teams gained valuable experience visiting a great university and playing on the road against the nation?s best 8th Grade and Under teams. For the first time in seven years Santa Barbara?s girls squad captured the Turbo Cup, the only major championship that has eluded one of the nation?s strongest water polo clubs.
