Dick Oglesby
For The New Era
The Sweet Home girls and boys water polo teams traveled to West Albany on Wednesday, Sept. 10, to open their season against the 2007 boys and girls state champions.
The girls faced a West Albany with 25 players on its roster, compared to nine for the Huskies, and it showed in the final 14-5 score. The Huskies are essentially a start-up team this year, as Sweet Home did not field a water polo program in 2007. Several players are in their first year with five sophomores, one freshman, and three seniors.
The Bulldogs scored seven unanswered goals in the first six-minute quarter. Sweet Home, sparked by Laura Gourley, got its scoring going in the second quarter as Gourley put one in off an assist from Norajean Lemar. Gourley went on to score four more goals off three assists from Katie Kinney and one from Sami Webb.
Sweet Home narrowed the hosts’ lead to 10-5 at one point, before West Albany pulled away.
The Huskies had 13 shots on goal and goalie Cheryl Wilson had 11 saves, some from within a few feet away.
The boys lost 19-1 to the Bulldogs. They are even thinner than the girls in team depth with eight players – meaning they have to play down a man, with no reserves, in every game.
West Albany scored seven unanswered goals in the first quarter. Freshman Cory Martin scored the Huskies’ goal on a penalty shot in the second quarter.
Coach Craig Martin said he would like to see the team execute the basics they have worked so hard on, in practice.
“I think, given the large number of players who are new to the sport, both the girls and boys teams, I think we’re doing very well,” he said. “I make that assessment on how I see them improving in their play and understanding of the game, not necessarily the score.”
On Friday, the Huskies faced Corvallis in what turned out to be their home opener after the originally scheduled home match against Woodburn on Sept. 3 was postponed,
The boys game turned out to be rough as the Spartans won 13-4. Martin, who scored two of Sweet Home’s four goals, wound up in the hospital with what turned out to be badly bruised ribs after taking a hard elbow. Alex Stupin and Eric Holmes also scored for the Huskies, who had nine shots on goal and 11 saves by goalie Brandon Courteau.
The girls lost a close match 15-12, with Gourley scoring nine goals and assisting on two others.
Kinney finished with two goals and three assists, and Lemar added one more for Sweet Home.
Webb beat the Spartans to start all four quarters and added one assist.
The Huskies played South Albany Monday and then will be back in action on Sept. 22 against Summit at home at 5 p.m.
“They’re working hard,” Martin said of his team. “I see continued improvement. One of our goals is to become a more competitive team. We’re in a tough league with these Albany teams.”