California Lutheran University Regals water polo kicked off the Tina Finali Tournament in an exhibition game against the Toronto Golden Jets where the team came up short with a final score of 13-7.
The game started slow as the Regals only found the back of the net once in the first period, but eventually gained traction going up 3-2 midway through the second period. The Golden Jets then scored four unanswered goals to lead 6-3 at halftime.
โFor lack of a better word, I think we were just sluggish this morning,โ Head Coach Tim Settem said.
Sophomore utility player Claire Daland and junior utility player Jacqueline Brandon both said the team played well defensively at times but struggled to get much going offensively.
โI was able to get quite a few steals and make sure my defense was on point,โ Daland said. โI can drive more and attack more and not be so standoffish.โ
Dalandโs four steals were a season-high but transition defense proved to be a challenge for the Regals as the Golden Jets converted on many counterattacks.
โMaking sure weโre not getting beat on that counter, I think, is something weโve worked on but it kind of just slipped through our fingers this first game,โ Brandon said.
Brandon said cohesiveness has been something the Regals talk about before jumping into the pool each time the team faces an opponent.
โYou see it a lot when weโre doing well, is weโre playing cohesively and playing together. When we kind of fall apart, weโre playing individually,โ Brandon said.
Though the Regals have posted seven losses on the season, five of those games being against top-25 nationally ranked opponents, Settem believes the tough schedule prepares the team for conference play down the road.
โPlaying the elite teams, playing the best competition possible, and learning from the good, the bad, and the ugly, โฆ itโs big for us to be able to do that, so when we play our conference games, weโre going to be more confident,โ Settem said.
Daland said the team enjoys the challenge of competing, regardless of who enters the water.
โIt helps us get a lot of experience, โฆ being able to play against a higher level and then preparing us for what weโre going to be facing,โ Daland said.
The Regals have faced the likes of Arizona State University, California Baptist University, San Diego State University, and others already this year.
โWeโre pushing ourselves really hard right now, obviously with our competition, playing these DI schools,โ Brandon said.
Daland and Brandon both said that their goals for the season as individuals and for the team were reaching for the top.
โOur main goal is to win a conference title and then play in the national championship and win it. For us to achieve that we have to be consistent, we canโt be complacent. Unfortunately, we saw complacency today,โ Settem said.
Settem said the complacency the team had against the Golden Jets was more mental than anything else.
โFirst and foremost, we plan on winning a natty,โ Brandon said. โOur coach talks about playing it game by game. The game weโre playing is the most important game weโre going to play.โ
Settem said though the loss to the Golden Jets isnโt one they hoped for, the team is eager to continue preparing for what lies ahead, taking each game day by day.
โWe were flat this morning. Hopefully, we get a rest, get a mental check, and come back this afternoon with a little more vigor,โ Settem said.
The Regals did indeed bounce back in the afternoon with a 20-7 win against the Whittier Poets. The following day, the Regals went 1-1 with a 21-8 win over the University of California, Merced and a 10-9 loss to Azusa Pacific University. The Regals (3-7) are set to play at home again on Wednesday, Feb. 26 against Mount St. Maryโs University at 4 p.m.
