Three members of the Estevan Sharks water polo program joined Team Saskatchewan entries at water polo nationals in Calgary from May 26 to 28.
Emily Marshall and Teaghan Hack played with the 16-and-under girls team, and Marshall also played with the 19-and-under girls team. Cameron Gillingham played with the 16-and-under boys team.
Each team played in a four-team tournament that started with semifinals. The losers played in the bronze medal games and the winners went to the gold medal game.
The 16-and-under girls team opened the tournament with an 8-3 loss to the Montreal Camo team. Camo struck for three goals in the first period and two more in the second, on their way to the win.
Marshall and Hack were both part of the starting lineup. They had numerous scoring opportunities in the game but were unable to find the back of the net.
Saskatchewan dropped down to the bronze medal game, which they lost 6-5 to Quebec’s Dollard Black program. The Prairie team led for much of the game, and had a 5-4 lead entering the fourth quarter, but Dollard scored twice in the final frame, including the winner with 35 seconds remaining.
Marshall scored Saskatchewan’s second goal of the game.
The 16-and-under boys team opened their tournament against the Mavericks Black squad from Ontario. The Mavericks had a 20-0 record entering the game, and they defeated Saskatchewan 18-12. The Mavericks led 4-3 after the first period, and they gradually pulled away as the game progressed.
As one of the youngest on the team, Gillingham did not leave his mark on the scoresheet but contributed defensively to the team’s effort.
The bronze medal game saw Saskatchewan drop an 11-9 decision to the Montreal Machine. Saskatchewan held a 6-5 lead at half-time, but the Machine rattled off four unanswered goals in the third period for a three-goal advantage, and then held on in the fourth quarter.
The 19-and-under girls team won silver at nationals. Their first game was an 18-7 win over a team from St. Lambert, Quebec. Saskatchewan outscored St. Lambert 4-1 in the first quarter, and then rattled off six straight goals in the second for a 10-1 advantage at half-time.
Saskatchewan then outscored St. Lambert 4-3 in each of the third and fourth quarters.
Marshall contributed a couple of assists in the game.
The gold medal game was against the Montreal Camo. Camo led 2-0 after the first period and 5-2 at half-time. It remained a three-goal game through three, as each team scored once in the third, but then Camo ran away in the fourth quarter by outscoring Saskatchewan 5-2, and they won 11-5.
