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When the night concluded at the Moore League Showcase Wilson, Poly and Millikan all came away with comfortable wins, but with six teams in action – it was more than just about wins and losses.
“This is a good show for Long Beach,” Wilson coach Barry O’Dea said. “We have a lot of girls play water polo and it’s exciting.”
It’s become an annual event that brings Wilson, Poly, Millikan, Lakewood, Jordan and Cabrillo together for three matches hosted at Cabrillo.
To start the afternoon, Wilson showed off their versatility as they defeated Cabrillo 18-1 with a running clock to start the second half.
“We’re constantly trying to teach the girls there’s respect level for the game,” O’Dea said. “We respect the teams in our league and they’re putting their teams out there and we have been competing hard and we train hard.”
The Bruins had nine different athletes find the back of the cage. With an emphasis on taking their time before shooting, the Bruins were able to work on set pieces late in the shot clock.
Cabrillo wouldn’t be shut out as the Jaguars’ Malena Maestas scored in the third period to get on the board.
Wilson will now have some time off for the holidays before they gear up for a big Santa Barbara Tournament.
“It’ll be good to see where we’re at,” O’Dea said.
Looking to build off their playoff appearance last season, Harper Hogan scored three goals in total team effort as the Jackrabbits defeated Jordan, 18-3.
The Jackrabbits had 12 athletes score and that’s something the team is proud of as they continue to look to make another postseason push.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Hogan said. “We wanted to make sure we pass the ball around a lot and get an empty path to the center or the post to really get everyone into the offense.”
To finish the night Avery Jensen and the Millikan Rams used fourth quarter push to blow things open as they defeated Lakewood 18-2.
Jensen scored five goals as the Rams turned defense into offense and were able to counter on Lakewood’s defense.
“These games are really good for us,” Jensen said. “We practice every day together, so when we’re able to play together and not just varsity with junior varsity – we’re just getting better.”
Lakewood’s Brooke Baze scored two goals for the Lancers to avoid the shutout.
Millikan is coming off a tough playoff loss, and the Rams will continue to prepare to build off their second-round exit last season.
“We’re just getting better for CIF and the rest of Moore League play,” Jensen said.
