Women's Water Polo Meet Highlights

November 13-14, 2009

Lady Wolverines Regain Northern California Crown

After a 4 year hiatus the Lady Wolverines regained what they have won more than any other women’s water polo team in Northern California history, their 6th Regional Women’s Water Polo Championship, as they defeated the Foothill Owls 11-4 in last Saturday’s Championship game.

Sierra 8, Santa Rosa Jr. College 6

The road to the finals was not easy as the Lady Wolverines had to face Big 8 nemesis Santa Rosa to get to the finals. After defeating the Bearcubs twice this season, including last weekends Big 8 Conference Tournament Championship Game, the Lady Wolverines had to scratch and claw their way through the game, but were able to defeat the Bearcubs for a 3rd consecutive time 8-6 to advance to the NorCal Championship Game.

Leading the way for the Wolverines were Sophomores Ariel Noriega and Michelle Berrios with 3 goals each, and Sophomore defensive stopper Malina Lorring with 1 goal, 4 assists and 4 steals. Not to be outdone by their teammates Freshman Kelsey Carrigan added 1 goal and 2 steals and Sophomore Julie Maginnis had 2 assists and 3 steals to help the Wolverine cause. Back from illness last week, Freshman goalkeeper Tori Cliff had 6 blocks in the victory.

Sierra 11, Foothill College 4

After splitting games during the regular season with the Foothill Owls, the Lady Wolverines were out to prove who was the better team. After a fast paced 1st quarter in which the teams scored on the first 5 possessions, the Lady Wolverines defense took over and put the clamps on the Owls offense in route to an 11-4 Championship Game victory.

Once again leading the charge was Sophomore All-American Ariel Noriega who had 4 goals, Sophomore Michelle Berrios who had 2 goals, 3 assists, and 6 steals, and Sophomore Malina Lorring with 1 goal, 1 assist and 4 steals. Jordan Pare, Meagan Ballew, Kelsey Carrigan and Sara Roeder each kicked in with a goal apiece. Freshman net-minder Tori Cliff was outstanding in the goal again as she had 11 blocks to help lead the Lady Wolverines to the Championship.

State Championships Next!

The Lady Wolverines now advance to this weekends State Championships at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA, November 19 -21, as the Northern California #1 seed, and face the South’s #2 seed Long Beach CC and the North’s #3 seed Modesto JC in hopes of advancing to the State Championship game on Saturday.

November 6-7, 2009

Lady Wolverines Defend Big 8 Conference Championship

Playing some of their best and most inspired water polo of the season, the Lady Wolverines waltzed through the Big 8 Conference Tournament on their way to their second consecutive Big 8 Conference Championship!!!  Going in as the number 2 seed, the Lady Wolverines topped 3 tough opponents on their way to the Big 8 title. 

Sierra 15, San Joaquin Delta 3

Starting play on Friday against the number 7 seed San Joaquin Delta College, the Lady Wolverines left no doubt who was the higher seed as they jumped out to a 5-1 first quarter lead on their way to a 15-3 victory over the Lady Mustangs.  Leading the way were Sophomores Ariel Noriega with 4 goals, Julie Maginnis with 3 goals, and Michelle Berrios and Malina Lorring with 2 goals and 4 steals apiece.  Freshman goalie Tayma Ueltzen held down the goal with 6 blocks and 1 steal to solidify their victory. 

Sierra 17, Diablo Valley College 2

On Saturday the Lady Wolverines returned to action in the semi-finals against long time foe Diablo Valley College.  Once again establishing themselves early as the team to beat, the Lady Wolverines jumped out to a 7-1 first quarter lead in route to a 17-2 victory over the Lady Vikings.  Sparking the Wolverines with 6 goals was Sophomore Jordan Pare.  Chipping in 3 goals was Sophomore Ariel Noriega, and Sophomore Michelle Berrios and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan and Marion Sanborn had 2 goals apiece in the victory.  Once again the Lady Wolverines received stand-out goalkeeping from Freshman Tayma Ueltzen who had 6 blocks and 2 steals. 

Sierra 9, Santa Rosa Jr. College 4

Now into the Championship game, the Lady Wolverines were determined to defend their Conference Championship.  Facing long time nemesis Santa Rosa Junior College, the Lady Wolverines started out slow but finished fast as after a 0-0 first quarter they were able to clamp down on defense, and get the offense rolling leading to a 9-4 victory over the Lady Bearcubs and their second straight Big 8 Conference Championship.  Once again Super Sophomores Jordan Pare and Ariel Noriega led the way with 4 and 2 goals respectably.  Not to be shown up by their Sophomore counterparts, Sophomores Michelle Berrios had 1 goal, 3 assists, and 4 steals, Julie Maginnis had 1 goal, 2 assists and 3 steals, and Malina Lorring had 2 assists and 5 steals while defending the Bearcubs best players.  Freshman Tayma Ueltzen once again came to the rescue in goal with 10 blocks.

On to the Northern California Championships!

The Lady Wolverines next action is at the Northern California Championships November 13th and 14th at West Valley College in Saratoga California.  After winning the Conference Championships the Lady Wolverines go in as the #1 seed from the North and will take on the winner of the Merced College vs. Santa Rosa Junior College match. 

The Lady Wolverines must win one of their two games this weekend to finish top 3 in the tournament and qualify for next weekends State Championships at Golden West College in Huntington Beach California. 

October 28, 2009

Sierra 7, American River 4

In their last Big 8 conference game before the Big 8 tournament, the Lady Wolverines handled cross town rival American River College 7-4. Helping the Lady Wolverines keep their strangle hold on 2nd place in the Big 8 Conference, were Sophomores Ariel Noriega and Jordan Pare and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 2 goals each and Sophomore Julie Maginnis with 1.

Playing her best game of the season Freshman Tori Cliff had 14 blocks in goal for the Lady Wolverines. With the win the Lady Wolverines finish conference play 6-1 going into the Big 8 Conference tournament next weekend at San Joaquin Delta College.

Week of October 21, 2009

Lady Wolverines Complete Toughest Week of the Season

Sierra 15, San Joaquin Delta 4

The Lady Wolverines ended their longest week of the season with 6 games in 4 days, finishing with a 3-3 record. The Wolverines started off the week against Big 8 conference opponent Delta College. Battling a team flu bug and missing two of their starters, the Wolverines were able to come away with 15-4 conference win. Leading the way for the team was Sophomore Julie Maginnis with 5 goals, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Not to be over-shadowed by their elder teammate, Freshman Kelsey Carrigan chipped in with 3 goals, 3 assists, and 3 steals, and fellow Freshman Tori Cliff had 10 blocks, 1 steal and 2 assists.

Sierra 9, Fresno City 3

The following day the Lady Wolverines battled another Big 8 Conference foe Fresno City College. Playing in a hostile environment, the Lady Wolverines scratched and clawed their way to a 9-3 victory against the Rams. Leading the team in scoring was Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 4 goals and 4 steals, and Freshman Tori Cliff had 8 blocks to go along with 1 steal and 1 assist. With the win, the Lady Wolverines pushed their conference record to 5-1!!!

Sierra 4, Golden West 7

Finishing their journey down south to the Battle at the Beach tournament in Long Beach that featured 5 schools ranked in the top 10 in the state, the Lady Wolverines took on the best the state had to offer. In their first game against Golden West the Lady Wolverines got down early but battled back to tie with one of the states best teams at the end of three quarters. Unable to convert some tough goals in the fourth quarter the Lady Wolverines eventually bowed to the Rustlers 7-4. Sophomores Julie Maginnis, Ariel Noriega, and Jordan Pare and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan all scored one goal apiece. Freshman Tori Cliff contributed 9 blocks to the Wolverine defense.

Sierra 11, Palomar 8

After a tough game against Golden West the Lady Wolverines battled another top 10 opponent in Palomar Colllege. Trailing early the Lady Wolverines rallied for an 11-8 victory. Sophomore Jordan Pare dominated the game with 7 goals and 1 assist. Freshman Amanda Ratto chipped in 2 goals and a steal to help the Wolverine cause. Freshman Tori Cliff once again led the team with 8 blocks.

Sierra 4, Chaffey 5

On the next day, the Lady Wolverines once again took on a top 10 team in Chaffey College. Battling to the last minute, the Lady Panthers edged out the Lady Wolverines 5-4. Sophomores Julie Maginnis, Ariel Noriega and Jordan Pare and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan had 1 apiece. Splitting time in the goal Freshman Tayma Ueltzen and Tori Cliff had 6 and 4 blocks respectably.

Sierrra 5, Fullerton 12

Rounding up their toughest week of the season the Lady Wolverines took on a fourth top 10 team in Fullerton College. Finally running out of gas the Lady Wolverines fell to the Lady Hornets 12 -5. Leading the way for the Lady Wolverines were Sophomores Ariel Noriega and Michelle Berrios with 2 goals each and Malina Lorring with 1. Lorring and Freshman Amanda Ratto had 3 steals apiece for the Wolverines. Freshman goalkeepers Tori Cliff and Tayma Ueltzen had 4 and 3 blocks respectably.

Next Wolverine action will be against Big 8 Conference foe American River College on Wednesday October 28th.

Oct. 14, 2009

Lady Wolverines Complete Perfect 5-0 Week

Sierra 14, Santa Rosa Jr. College 6

Hitting a stretch of their roughest game schedule of the season, the Lady Wolverines took a big step forward by completing a 5-0 week.

Starting off the week the Lady Wolverines beat Big 8 nemesis Santa Rosa Jr. College 14-6. The win was not only important for standing in the Big 8 conference, but also for the Lady Wolverines psyche as they had not been able to defeat the Bear Cubs in the last two seasons.

The Lady Wolverines scoring was dominated by Sophomores Jordan Pare and Ariel Noriega who scored 7 and 5 goals each respectably. Chipping in the other two goals were Sophomore Malina Lorring and Freshman Sara Roeder with one each. Defending the goal was net-minder Freshman Tori Cliff with 15 saves and 2 steals to help with the victory.

Oct. 16-17, 2009

River City Tournament

Riding the momentum of their Wednesday win over Santa Rosa, the Lady Wolverines hosted their own River City Tournament October 16th and 17th. Taking on teams from all over the state, the Lady Wolverines picked up right where they left off on Wednesday by completing a 4-0 tournament finish.

Sierra 12, Mt San Antonio 6

In their first game the Lady Wolverines defeated tough Southern California foe Mt. SAC 12-6. Once again, leading the way for the Wolverines was Sophomore Ariel Noriega with 5 goals and 2 steals. Freshman Kelsey Carrigan chipped in with 2 goals, and Jordan Pare, Meagan Ballew, Sara Roeder, Michelle Berrios and Julie Maginnis, each added one to help the Wolverine cause. Splitting time in the cage, Freshman goalies Tori Cliff and Tayma Ueltzen had 7 and 4 saves respectably.

Sierra 16, San Joaquin Delta 4

Wrapping up the first day of the tournament the Lady Wolverines took on Big 8 foe Delta College from Stockton. Jumping out to a quick and early lead, the Lady Wolverines were able to cruise to a 16-4 victory. Leading the way for the Lady Wolverines was Sophomore Julie Maginnis with 4 goals and 5 assists. Not to be outdone by their Sophomore counterparts, Jordan Pare and Ariel Noriega scored 3 goals apiece while Pare added 5 steals. Adding to the theft total was Malina Lorring and Sara Roeder with 4 steals each. Freshman Tayma Ueltzen led the defensive charge with 9 blocks.

Sierra 16, DeAnza College 6

On the final day of the tournament, the Lady Wolverines were adamant about completing a 5-0 week. On Saturday morning they started off with Coast Conference opponent DeAnza College. Starting slow, but finishing fast, the Lady Wolverines were a little too much for the Lady Dons as they eventually wore them down into a 16-6 victory. The victory was a total team effort as 11 Lady Wolverines scored in the victory. Leading the way was Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 3 goals and Freshman Tayma Ueltzen with 8 blocks.

Sierra 10, Foothill College 5

Ending their week with possibly their most important match of the season, the Lady Wolverines took on another Coast Conference opponent Foothill College. Losing to the Owls earlier in the season, the Lady Wolverines were out for revenge in their home pool. Avenging an early season 8-5 loss, the Lady Wolverines played some great defense and enough offense to post a 10-5 victory. Completing an outstanding week, Sophomore Ariel Noriega once again led the way with 4 goals and 4 steals. Sophomore Michelle Berrios had 2 goals and 5 steals and fellow Sophomore Julie Maginnis had 2 goals and 4 assists to help aid in the victory. Freshman Kelsey Carrigan and Sara Roeder each had a goal.

Next up

The Lady Wolverines have a big week as on Wednesday October 21 they get a rematch with Delta College, before traveling to Fresno on Thursday to take on Fresno City College, and then continuing down South to participate in the Battle of the Beach tournament in Long Beach.

Oct. 9-10, 2009

Merced Tournament

Lady Wolverines Post 3-1 Record at Merced Tournament

Battling teams from all over the state, the Lady Wolverines showed why they are one of the meanest, toughest animals, and teams, on the planet, posting a 3-1 record in Merced at the Merced Tournament.

In their first game the Lady Wolverines defeated Big 8 conference foe Fresno City 13-5, and Southern California’s Saddleback College 13-7 completing a 2-0 first day to win their tournament bracket. The two victories were produced by a total team effort as 9 Lady Wolverines scored at least 2 goals a piece and played some of their best defense of the season to shut down their 2 first day opponents.

On Saturday, the Wolverines met 2-0 San Diego Mesa in a battle of undefeated teams from Friday’s competition. The Lady Wolverines scratched and clawed their way to what should have been a victory, but failed to convert 3 out of 4 penalty shots in a 1 point loss 8-7. Again the Lady Wolverines were lead by Sophomores Ariel Noriega and Michelle Berrios with 2 goals each, and Berrios’s 3 assists. Freshman goalie Tayma Ueltzen held down the defense with 11 blocks in goal.

To wrap up the weekend the Lady’s took on their arch rivals from American River College. Jumping out to an early 4-1 lead, the Lady Wolverines were able to control the game and defeat the Beavers 8-5. Three Wolverines, Ariel Noriega, Jordan Pare, and Julie Maginnis had 2 goals a piece, while Sophomore Michelle Berrios and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan scored 1 a piece. Berrios also contributed with 3 assists and Carrigan and Sophomore Malina Lorring had 3 steals a piece. Freshman goalie Tori Cliff anchored the defense with 10 saves in goal.

The Lady Wolverines continue League play on Wednesday October 14th versus Santa Rosa Jr. College, and then try to defend their home turf on October 16th and 17th as they host the River City Invitational Tournament.

Oct. 7, 2009

Sierra 8, Modesto Jr. College 9

Lady Wolverines Lose Nail-Bitter to Lady Pirates

In battle of two undefeated teams in the Big 8 Conference, the Lady Wolverines lost a nail-bitter to foe Modesto JC 9-8. With the loss the Lady Wolverines dropped to 2-1 in Conference play while Modesto moved to 4-0.

Leading the way for the Wolverines with 3 goals was Sophomore Ariel Noriega, and fellow Sophomore Michelle Berrios and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 2 goals apiece. Also contributing to the Wolverine cause were Sophomores Julie Maginnis with 1 goal and Malina Lorring with 5 steals. Freshman goal keepers Tori Cliff and Tayma Ueltzen had 4 and 3 blocks respectfully.

The Lady Wolverines continue action this weekend at the Merced Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

Sept 22, 23, 2009

Sierra 8, Foothill College 11

Sierra 15, Diablo Valley College 7

Lady Wolverines Split in Tough Week

Back in action, the Lady Wolverines split two games this week against tough opponents. Traveling to Los Altos, the Lady Wolverines took on NorCal foe Foothill College.

Despite a fast start, the Lady Wolverines struggled to put the ball in the net for two quarters as they fell to the Owls 11-8. When they were scoring, the Lady Wolverines were lead by Sophomore Ariel Noriega and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 2 goals a piece. Chipping in with 1 goal each were Sophomores Jordan Pare and Michelle Berrios, and Freshman Sara Roeder and Amanda Ratto. Freshman goalie Tayma Ueltzen had 5 saves in the goal for the Wolverines.

Taking no time to lick their wounds the Lady Wolverines were back in action on Wednesday against Big 8 Conference foe Diablo Valley College. Like a wounded animal the Lady Wolverines came out with a vengeance, knocking off the Vikings 15-7.

Leading the Lady Wolverines were Sophomores Jordan Pare and Ariel Noriega with 4 goals a piece, and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 3. Adding 1 a piece for the Wolverines were Sophomores Michelle Berrios and Julie Maginnis, and Freshman Rachael Delehanty and Liz Scherer. Freshman Tori Cliff had 4 saves in goal to lead the Wolverines.

The Lady Wolverines are off until October 7th when they face the Lady Pirates from Modesto.

Sept 16, 2009

Sierra 15, Sacramento City College 2

Lady Wolverine Out-Claw Panthers

The Lady Wolverines opened up conference play versus in-town foe Sac City College. In a total team effort, the Lady Wolverines came away with a Big 8 Conference victory 15-2.

Leading the effort were Freshman Amanda Ratto with 4 goals and 5 steals, and Claire Kinnard with 3 goals and 2 assists. Sophomore Captain Ariel Noriega scored 3 goals and handed out 2 assists of her own, while fellow Sophomore Jordan Pare had 2 goals and 1 assist. Malina Lorring, Kelsey Carrigan, and Rachael Delehanty each scored 1 goal while Delehanty also contributed 2 assists and 2 steals. Splitting time in goal, Freshman Tori Cliff had 5 blocks and Tayma Ueltzen had 2.

Lady Wolverines next action will be Tuesday, September 22nd at Foothill College, followed by their first home game of the season on Wednesday, September 23rd versus Big 8 Conference opponent Diablo Valley College at 3:30 p.m.

Sept 10, 11, 12, 2009

Cypress Tournament

Young Wolverines Start Season Out on Winning Note

Despite having 12 Freshman on their 18 person roster, the Lady Wolverines had a great start to their 2009 season at the Cypress Tournament in Southern California. Playing 5 games in three days against some of the states best teams, the young Wolverines start out the season with a 3-2-0 record.

To start off the weekend the Lady Wolverines opened with a 16-12 victory over the host Cypress College Chargers. Leading the way were Freshman Kelsey Carrigan with 4 goals and Sara Roeder with 3 goals. Not to be outdone by her Freshman counterparts, Sophomore Michelle Berrios contributed 3 goals of her own while adding 3 steals and 2 assists.

On Friday morning the team got their first big challenge as they played the 2008 2nd place in the state team Long Beach City College. After leading at the end of the first quarter 2-1, the Wolverines showed their youth as they could not score again the rest of the game and fell to the state runner-ups 8-2. Chipping in the two goals were Freshman Sara Roeder and Sophomore Malina Lorring.

Later that day the Lady Wolverines took out their earlier frustrations on San Diego foe Miramar College 11-3. Leading the Wolverines were Freshman Amanda Ratto with 3 goals, and fellow Freshman Sara Roeder and Justina Dunne with 2 each. Freshman Tayma Ueltzen lead the defensive charge with 8 saves in the goal.

To wrap up the weekend, the Lady Wolverines faced off against Orange Coast College. Despite a valiant effort, the young Wolverines fell to the Pirates 12-9. Sophomore Ariel Noriega scored 3 goals for the Lady Wolverines, while fellow Sophomore Jordan Pare and Freshman Kelsey Carrigan had 2 a piece. Michelle Berrios and Julie Maginnis each chipped in with 1. Freshman Tori Cliff had 8 saves in goal for the Wolverines.

In their final contest of the weekend, the Lady Wolverines again took on host Cypress College. The result was the same as Thursday, as the Lady Wolverines once again defeated the Chargers this time with a score of 11-6. Ariel Noriega, Jordan Pare, Kelsey Carrigan, and Justina Dunne scored 2 goals a piece while Meagan Ballew, Sara Roeder and Julie Maginnis added 1 each. Freshman Tayma Ueltzen defended the goal well as she had 11 saves to shut down the Charger offense.

The Lady Wolverines next action is against in-town conference foe Sacramento City College on Wednesday, September 16th at Sac City College.

 

Highlights from 2008 season.