East Bay What?
A Great water polo weekend for Kelly and the CSUEB Women. They are wrapping up the regular season this weekend and next. Friday the girls traveled to Santa Cruz for an all important game against the UCSC Banana Slugs. Winner gets an invite to the Division III national Championships in L.A. Loser stays home. The Pioneer ladies scored two early goals and never looked back. Defeating the banana slugs 5-3. Kelly, who comes from a high school that NEVER won a water polo game, was moved to tears at the thought of going to NCAA Nationals. CONGRATULATIONS KELLY! YOU ROCK
To top things off this weekend, The CSUEB girls played their last home game of the season yesterday. The “senior game” honors the out going senior girls with recognition, bouquet of flowers, as well as a “pull around the pool” by the freshman. I guess the tradition at CSUEB is to have the senior girls get into innertubes and have the freshies pull them around the side of the pool to applause by the hometown crowd. The Otters from CSU Monterey Bay, traveled up to play spoiler against CSUEB. A team that is coming together and playing at a high level, just at the right time. This game proved to be a struggle however. Kelly had a sweet goal in the 4th quarter to go ahead 5-4. Otter’s tough play resulted in a tie at end of regulation, forcing overtime. Two 3 minute over time periods. After a scoreless first over time period, the Otters went up on a goal with just barely a minute to play. With 6 seconds to play, we score to force sudden death!! In sudden death we score and win!! WOW. Will sure miss those senior girls. Especially our goalie, Kimba. The best I have ever seen and the team MVP if you ask me and Barb.The Girls play thier last regular season game this Friday in Sonoma, then prepare for conference championships in San Diego, Apr 28-30, and National Championships May 7-9 in Los Angeles.
Barb and I have gone to almost 20 games this year. In driving rain, sleet, snow, and even one or two sunny days. These girls have played great water polo. Not like the high school days of just wondering how bad we were going to get beat. Now-a-days, CSUEB is in almost every game and plays good water polo all the time. It been a joy to watch Kelly and to get to know all the girls on the team and only expect great things in games and seasons to come. Even without those seniors that we will miss soooo much.
NOTE: Regarding home games at CSUEB. They’re the best we have seen. Santa Cruz charges people to get in. So does Monterey and a some others. Our games are free, they have player introductions, programs, national anthem, and regular type announcing (who scored, end of quarter scores etc.). The hole operation is very professional. Some we have not seen at any other school. Way to go East Bay!
