WAIS Water Polo Athletes Shine at U18 Nationals

WAIS athletes have featured prominently in both the WA boy’s and girl’s U18 teams at the age National Championships in Brisbane this week.

The WA Gold boy’s water polo team, coached by WAIS mentor Paul Oberman has earned itself a day off and a seeding straight through to Saturday’s semi-final after topping their group at the Valley Pool.  

Both the NSW Blue and WA Gold teams were undefeated in their four pool games with the NSW squad amassing 75 goals and conceding just 13, while the Western Australians had a for and against of 62-22.  

Representing WA Gold for WAIS are scholarship holders; Luca Altieri, Jayden Smith, George Ford and Dimitri Stamatis.

Despite WA’s strong form, Oberman highlighted the NSW A team, as the side to beat for the title.

“Our boys have gone through the group round undefeated and straight through to the semi finals. We have defeated NSW B Team 10-7, ACT 24-5, SA 14-5 and Qld 14-5. Defending champions NSW A look very strong and have comfortably won all games in the other group,” Oberman said.

In the women’s competition, WAIS coach Peter Szilagyi’s WA Gold team snared the prized scalp of hometown favourites Queensland Maroons with a 9-7 win in a heavyweight clash at Albany Creek.

The Maroons had come into the clash having amassed a total of 42-5 in their two previous games against the Queensland White and WA Black teams but were no match for Szilagyi’s WA Gold team.  

The team have now won four games in the opening rounds and the platform for those victories has been their defence, something that Szilagyi was over the moon with. WA Gold has kept their opposition in those four games to just 17 goals.  

“I’m pleased the players are all playing well and I am mainly pleased that we have been able to keep the other teams down to 17 goals against us which is pretty good,” Szilagyi said.  

“I am happy definitely, also because all of our players are scoring goals and it’s not just been down to one or two players.”  

In the win over the Queensland Maroons, WAIS athlete Matilda Connor netted three, while Kassia Ralston and another WAIS scholarship holder in Cathryn Earl scored two apiece.

The WA Gold girl’s then went on to defeat the NSW Waratahs’ team 14-5 while Queensland Maroons bounced back with a 21-7 win over South Australia.  

Despite their success today Szilagyi was not getting ahead of himself and his team’s chances.  

“Queensland and NSW both have really strong teams,” Szilagyi said. “We aim to be in the final but it’s step by step.”  

“I don’t look any further ahead than our two games tomorrow.”  

– With Water Polo Australia