SBCC’s magical playoff run came to a close on Friday as No. 2 seed Riverside cruised past the 10th-seeded Vaqueros 18-4 in a Southern Cal Regional women’s water polo quarterfinal at Citrus College.
In their first year of water polo, the Vaqueros (17-13) finished tied for fifth in Southern California. They won the WSC Championship with an 8-1 record and posted four post-season wins before running into a deep and talented Riverside squad. The Tigers (25-4) took a 7-3 halftime lead, then outscored the Vaqueros 11-1 in the second half.
“I was extremely proud of how we competed today,” said coach Chuckie Roth. “We had some moments of brilliance, however, our nine-woman roster was no match for Riverside’s speed, size and depth.
“Regardless, there was not a prouder coach on the pool deck today. We had a Cinderella-like season. Each player improved and more importantly, this experience will prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead.”
Rocio Fesembeck, Autumn Lovett, Kaitlyn Wentz Fitzgerald and Maddie Brooks each scored a goal for SBCC. Nikki Bell led the Tigers with eight goals. Wentz Fitzgerald had five drawn ejections.
Fesembeck finished her first college season as the WSC leader with 103 goals in 29 games for a 3.6 average.
