Dollard Water-Polo Club hosts women’s under-18 club championships

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The Chronicle

The eyes of the local water-polo community were focused on the Dollard des Ormeaux Aquatic Centre last weekend as the Speedo Girls’ Under-18 Championships came to the West Island.

Hosted by the Dollard Water-Polo Club, the four-day double-elimination event featured many of the finest competitors in the country, some of who have been, or will be identified as candidates for the national program. To that end, Canadian women’s senior team head coach Pat Oaten, a West Island resident who has been instrumental in building the Dollard Water-Polo Club into a talent factory, and who currently serves as head coach/mentor for the club, was on hand representing Water Polo Canada.

No less than three Dollard clubs competed, including Dollard 1, featuring the cream of the crop at the u-18 level, Dollard 2, the best of the rest, and Dollard 3, made up of the club’s finest 13-14 year olds. When all was said and done, Dollard 3 finished a very respectable 10th overall with a 1-3 record, while Dollard 2 went winless to slot in 13th. Dollard 1 meanwhile, opened up the tourney with a 13-6 victory over Winnipeg Bushido last Thursday afternoon. It followed with a 12-10 victory over rival CAMO last Friday afternoon before losing 14-7 to Pacific Storm on Saturday afternoon. That set up a sudden-death match against CAMO on Sunday morning. When the final whistle had sounded, Dollard 1 won 16-9, vaulting it into the gold-medal game against Pacific Storm just a few hours later. Once again though, the team from Vancouver proved without a doubt why they were the resounding favourite heading into the event, winning 14-8. They physically dominated the game from start to finish and never trailed. Alyssa Analytis registered a hat trick for Dollard 1.

“The better club won,” said Dollard 1 head coach Jeff Lindel. “They were big, and had six nationally identified players on their team. We were undersized, but battled hard. We tried the press defence then went to a zone defence, but they simply made the most of their opportunities. If there was a moral victory for us in this tournament, it had to be our victory in sudden death over CAMO. As a coach, I can’t be more proud of our athletes.”

Note: Dollard 1 placed two players on the tournament all-star team, including Analytis and Lisa Bass. Meanwhile, the men’s u-18 club championships take place this weekend at CAMO. Dollard will be represented, with Scott Smith serving as head coach.