Monarchs Soar Over the Eagles

The lady Monarchs water polo team continue their winning streak with a win over Santa Margarita

Nicole Kresich, Brandon Hicks, and Courtney Harris
February 16, 2016

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Sophomore Grace Thawley (left) and senior Kayla Constandse (center) shot block an oncoming shot, helping sophomore goalie, Marley Presiado (right) block the ball.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, at 6:00 pm in the William Lyon Homes Aquatic Center, the Mater Dei varsity girls water polo team defeated rival, Santa Margarita, 15-9, to continue their undefeated streak in the Trinity League.

“We have a good group of girls that are old and experienced, and girls that are young and have already proven themselves as leaders,” said Head Coach Chris Segesman after the game.

Mater Dei has lost to Santa Margarita two consecutive years in a row in the 2013 and 2014 CIF finals. This victory is a huge win for the Monarchs. The energy and excitement over the victory was palpable.

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Senior co-captain, Kayla Constandse legs up to fire a shot from the outside.

Sophomore co-captain, Grace Thawley said, “I think my role is to make sure everyone is really pumped up about the game. We play well when we are really hyped, so it’s my job to get us into that state of mind to help
us dominate.
Mater Dei girls maintained their energy throughout the game, fueling their counterattack and power play chances. The Monarchs outscored the Eagles by taking advantage of their power play
openings. The girls went 7 for 10 on man up opportunities.

“We executed our 6 on 5 opportunities effectively. We’ve been going over them a lot in practice and it’s paying off. I really think this led us to our victory,” said Senior Marylynn Cuozzo.

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Sophomore lefty, Grace Thawley, gets an outside look at the cage.

Cuozzo used her speed to lead the Monarchs in steals against Santa Margarita.

“It feels great to beat Santa Margarita after losing to them in CIF my freshman and sophomore year. We came so close in finals—going into overtime. This win meant a lot to us,” said Senior co-captain, Kayla Constandse.

Constandse led the girls in goals scored, totaling 5 on her part. The 15-9 victory over Santa Margarita set the tone for the rest of the Mater Dei girls’ season. They continue on their fight for the Trinity League champions on Tuesday, Feb. 2, against Orange Lutheran at Santiago College.

Update: The varsity girls water polo lost the match to Orange Lutheran on Feb. 2. This puts the team in 2nd place in the Trinity League going in to the first first round of CIF finals.