STORY BY LARISSA SAMANO, SPORTS EDITOR
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CYPRESS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Cypress College Men’s Water Polo team looking to turn things around and aim for a winning record following a hard season.
The team currently holds a 9-7 record as they approach the halfway mark of the season. They average 13.60 goals per game with an overall 204 goals made in their previous 15 games. Just last week, the Chargers dominated against Santa Rosa in the West Valley tournament and it was their highest scoring game with a final score of 23-2.
A small part of the roster holds a few returners that expressed their excitement about the progress the team has shown.
When asked what they have this year that they were missing last year, returner Aydann Hamburch said, “Last year we had a lot of talent, but it didn’t flow well”.
This year the team is playing more as a unit rather than individuals which is crucial for the team to be successful. Returner Diego Roman added, “This type of game is huge on team chemistry”.
The last two years the team has fallen one spot short of qualifying for SoCal Regionals and are looking to make it happen this year. When asked what the team wants to accomplish this season Roman said, “Make SoCal. It’s a big thing I don’t think our school has made it since 1977”. With 34 teams in the state, only the top 10 will qualify.
Now that a few returners have one year of college experience under their belt, they were asked how they are going to take advantage of that experience.
“Going from high school and club straight into college is completely different,” Roman said.
The level of play is much higher and they have now had the time to adjust to it. Going into collegiate sports, even at the JuCo level, can be a shock considering the intensity, so knowing that after playing their freshman year is going to work in their favor.
The Chargers took a tough loss to the No.1 ranked school Golden West College 18-5, but understood what they needed to work on to come out on top next time around. The team lacks in the depth chart compared to other rosters, but plan to make it work.
Recruiting is what is going to help the program continue to build and grow, and Coach Mark Canner seems to be successful in that. Hamburch said, “I’ve been playing with him since I was eight years old”.
Many things come into play to establish a successful program, and the men’s water polo team at Cypress has put themselves in a great position to make it happen. With only half of the season left to play, the pressure is on for the Chargers to prove they are a team to watch.
