Estevan water polo players Taeghen Hack, Emily Marshall and Cameron Gillingham competed at the under-16 Western National Championship League Water Polo Finals this past weekend in Calgary.
Hack and Marshall were on the Team Sask. girls team. They opened the tournament by routing the Edmonton Thunderbirds 21-4. Hack scored four times and Marshall added three markers. Thirteen of the Saskatchewan goals came in the second half.
Their next game was against the team from B.C.’s Fraser Valley. Saskatchewan scored nine seconds into the game to set the tone, and they led 9-2 at half-time. They held on in the second half to win 9-6. Hack scored twice and Marshall also scored.
Their next game was the semifinal against the Pacific Storm, a team Saskatchewan has never defeated. Hack started off the game with a lobbed goal in the first few minutes of play. The game was tied at 6-6 after four quarters, so a shootout was needed to decide a winner. The two teams each went three-for-five in the opening round, with Marshall and Hack converting their opportunities. Marshall scored again in a sudden death round that went to four shooters until Saskatchewan scored and the Storm didn’t, leaving Saskatchewan with a 13-12 victory.
Team Sask. advanced to the gold medal game and guaranteed their spot at nationals with the win.
In the gold medal game against the Calgary Renegades, Marshall and Hack each scored, and Saskatchewan scored the winning goal with 14 seconds to play for an 11-10 win.
Gillingham was part of the Team Sask. boys’ entry, who opened against the Pacific Storm. Saskatchewan fought hard, but dropped a 19-6 decision. The Storm advanced to the final, while Team Sask. had to play the Saanich Spartans in a semifinal game.
The Spartans led 7-1 at one point in the second quarter and 8-3 at half-time. But Team Sask. outscored the Spartans 4-1 in the third quarter and 4-2 in the fourth to tie the game at 11-11.
Each team scored five times in the shootout, and then Saskatchewan scored in the sudden death round for a 17-16 win, a trip to the gold medal game and a spot at nationasl.
Team Sask faced the Storm once again in the gold medal game, and lost 19-6. Saskatchewan was down 8-2 at half-time and 14-4 through three quarters.
Gillingham played in the tournament but did not score. But he is 13 years of age and was playing against older competition.
Nationals will be held in Calgary from May 25 to 28.
