Page 34 - May 2014 Dell & Cannon

WHAT’S
Happening
at RE
32 May 2014 I Ransom Everglades School I Dell + Cannon
Girls’ Water Polo Team Wins State Championship
Eric Lefebvre, Coach
Ransom Everglades School hosted the FHSAA State Water Polo Tournament on April 25 and 26
which, due in-part to the new simultaneous game format, attracted a tremendous number of fans
to the Aquatic Center. Under the leadership of tournament director, RE’s Assistant Athletic Director
Andy De Angulo, the athletic department staff and numerous parent and student volunteers put on a
remarkable event.
On Friday morning the RE girl’s water polo team played against the St.
Andrews’ Scots. At the end of the first quarter the score was 8 to 0.
What a way to start the tournament! Everyone on the roster contributed
to the team effort and seven players scored. The final score was 24 – 3.
The semifinal round was played late in the afternoon against the Winter
Park Wildcats. Sofia Rivas ’15 came out on fire, scoring five goals in
the first eight minutes of the game. The team played a great defense.
Passing by goalie Claire McDowell ’16 was exceptional and she let
pinpoint passes fly across the length of the pool. Captain Chelsea
Johnson ’14 scored seven goals. The final score was 18 – 5.
The final game on Saturday morning pitted RE against Gulliver Prep.
During the season Gulliver’s girls had won two out of the three meetings
against RE, with our one win at the Ransom Everglades Invitational at
the end of the season. The last two games of the Invitational were Ransom Everglades girls against Gulliver
girls, followed by the same match-up between the boys. Ransom Everglades won both the boy’s and the girl’s
games by one goal each. Propelled by the momentum of that last victory, the game began. As the end of
the first quarter approached, something nobody could have predicted took place. It started off with a block
on a 5-meter penalty shot by goalie Claire McDowell. Then the team’s leading scorer, team Captain Chelsea
Johnson, was ejected from the game for a foul in the back court. Everyone at the event held their breath for
a moment, while some of Gulliver’s players celebrated. As we got the ball back I called a time out. The team
locked arms and regrouped. With or without Chelsea we were still in the championship game, and we were
determined to win. After adjusting our defense, we went back into play. We had the same motivation to win
that we had when we started, but now we also had someone to play for and something to prove.
Everyone on the team knew we had to be strong for one another, and the crowd roared in support. At times
I found myself cheering with the crowd. Claire McDowell had 16 blocks in the game. With 1:46 left we were
down by one goal. Then Sofia Carrera-Justiz ’16 tied the game, and with 1:10 left, Sofia Rivas ’15 put us
ahead with a lob over the goalie. Katie Pfleger ’15 and Sofia Rivas scored one goal each, Sofia Carrera-Justiz
had four goals, while Claire McDowell had 16 saves for a final score of 6 – 5. When Gulliver’s last attempted
tie was thwarted, the RE team celebrated their victory by jumping in the pool together. We then dedicated that
victory to Head of School Ellen Moceri in front of the crowd. Mrs. Moceri has always been the RE Girls’ Water
Polo program’s biggest supporter – fighting to build our pool, and attending many of our games.
Throughout the season members of our team racked-up significant statistics, all of which fueled this year’s
State Championship – the fifth such victory for RE Girls’ Water Polo in the last six years.
Congratulations!!!
Athletics