By Philip
Brents
San Diego Entertainment Network
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Grossmont College women's
water polo team has won two consecutive Pacific Coast Conference championships.
The Griffins do not look like they are slowing down anytime soon after defeating
host Southwestern by a score of 18-4 on Sept. 9.
Head coach Larry Larsen, the PCC's Coach of the Year
the past two seasons, believes his team has enough returning firepower to
capture a third consecutive conference title.
"We have a good club. We have a lot of returners and
new recruits. At our level, you just never know what teams are going to be
good with the turnover from year to year at the JC level," Larsen said.
Grossmont is keyed by sophomore Kelly Ott, the team's
leading scorer last year, and All-American goalie Sierra Castro. Ott is a
graduate of Valhalla High School. She had six goals in the season-opening
victory against Southwestern. Castro, a Monte Vista High alumna, had eight
assists in the game to match her eight saves.
The Griffins turned a modest 3-1 first quarter lead into
a comfortable 6-1 halftime edge and assumed a commanding 14-2 lead entering
the final period with an eight-goal third quarter explosion. Ott and Suzanne
Haflich (Helix) both had two goals in that third-period eruption. Patty Halmay
(El Capitan) finished the game with two goals and two assists while Colleen
Schuller (Monte Vista) also scored two goals.
Highlighting the newcomers to the program this season
are three freshmen starters: Tiphanie Litalien (San Clemente), Caroline Galambos
(Westlake) and Megan Lohr (Valhalla).
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