During a sunny weekend in Northern California, women’s water polo competed in the Bay Area against Santa Clara, Marist College, CSU Monterey Bay and CSU East Bay. Returning 2-2, the  Golden Eagles battled tough competition on Friday but used that momentum to find their groove on Saturday, securing wins against Monterey Bay and East Bay. 

After a frustrating first day of competition, falling short to Golden Coast Conference rivals Santa  Clara, the Golden Eagles were fired up for the second day and determined to leave the pool with victories. Senior Tamsyn Evezard said, “The successes and lessons learned on day one ignited a profound sense of unity and purpose, propelling us towards greater success on day two.” 

Graduate student Melinna Galbraith said, “Our team does not lack a work ethic, and we all know  and understand the hard work it takes to get the results that we want.” Unafraid to rise to a challenge, the Golden Eagles prepared for another day of competition.  

Bouncing back and raising the energy on the second day made for a thrilling pair of competitions. Against Monterey Bay, the Golden Eagles set a new season scoring high with 18  goals, ultimately taking the win 18-11. 

Senior Andie Perreira tallied three goals against Monterey Bay and has been a crucial part of the  Golden Eagles family over the last four years. “A lot of people may think that our success comes from those in the water, which is true, but our greatest strength is the constant support we offer one another,” said Perreira, “We are one big family and would do anything for one another.” 

Finding strength in unity, Galbraith said, “We wanted to focus on our bench energy in games by  not only celebrating success but also maintaining a positive attitude and staying engaged even  during challenging moments.” Galbraith recorded four assists against Monterey Bay, helping the team to victory. 

Shortly after securing the win against Monterey Bay, the Golden Eagles got back in the pool for a nail-biting performance against East Bay, taking the Pioneers to overtime. Pushing through the fatigue of a long weekend, determination fueled them to pull ahead of East Bay after staying goal for goal with them all game. Finishing with a 10-7 win, Abby Mammen and Perreira secured the overtime goals to close out the tournament with a sweet victory. 

“Everyone on the team is fully bought into working together to win,” said Mammen. “We as a  team are not afraid of hard work and being on a team of heavy, both freshman and seniors, we all  work together to help each and every one grow and be better everyday.”   

Evezard shared an insight into what guides the team for success, saying, “Ultimately, our team ethos, RAD – Resilient, Adaptive and Driven – highlights our collective success in embodying these qualities throughout the tournament this past weekend.”

After displaying such resilience and focus last weekend, the Golden Eagles will strive to continue this trend for their home opener against Fresno Pacific today, Feb. 23. With plenty of competition to come, these Golden Eagles are taking flight and will definitely be a team to look out for. 

Tags: women's athletics, water polo

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