Citrus Women’s Water Polo Tournament Goes Swimmingly For The Owls

The Women's Water Polo team opened up their 2017 Citrus Tournament with four matches against four hungry teams. The first game was a conference match against the Allan Hancock Bulldogs, then the Owls continued the tournament versus the Cerritos College Falcons, the Rio Hondo College Road Runners, and ended the tournament against the El Camino College Warriors. Citrus won all four games and left home with a conference win in their bag that may go a long ways for them by the end of the season.

In what was the second to last conference game for Citrus, the Owls pulled through to defeat the Allan Hancock College Bulldogs by a score of 12-5. Citrus played at home in front of an eager crowd that was excited to support an up and rising team, and the Owls did not disappoint. With an overall season record of 12-6, and more importantly a conference record of 5-1, the Owls still remain as one of the top two teams as they currently sit in second place.

Leading the Owls in goals against the Bulldogs was Jessica Carmody, who was nearly perfect when shooting. Carmody made the most of her 6 shots, as she scored 5 of them by the final whistle. Right alongside Carmody was Hunter Olivier who was clearly an offensive force that could not be stopped. Olivier netted 3 of her 5 shots, and had 4 assists on the day. Bulldog defenders were undoubtedly frustrated by Olivier, as she also ended the day with 2 drawn exclusions. Olivier's day did not stop there, as she got involved defensively as well by seizing 3 steals on the match. In addition defensively, goalie Samantha Wilson helped the Owls control the game, as she had 6 saves on 11 shots. The Owls balanced style of play, a mixture between consistent offense and great transitioning defense has made them a recognizable playoff team. Citrus displayed it against the Bulldogs, and continued to showcase their game for the rest of the tournament.

In the second game of the tournament, the Owls faced off against the Cerritos College Falcons and won with a score of 8-5. The difference maker for Citrus was Emma Tuck, whose 3 goals put the Owls on top. In their next game, Citrus saw great effort from several of their players, as they defeated the Rio Hondo College Road Runners 14-9 in a match that truly stood out as a team win. The Owls closed out the tournament with a 10-2 win against the El Camino College Warriors. Defensively, Citrus goalie Noel Paz helped carry the team by only allowing 2 goals on 11 shots.

Now with playoffs in sight and well into the final stretch of their season, Citrus' next step will be to attempt to boost their overall season record at the 2017 TruWest Battle at the Beach.