Agoura girls sharp in water polo as season begins in league play

Acorn Sports Writer

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn WORKING HARD--Ashley Coleman of Agoura blocks Carrie Orr of Westlake during Friday's game.

The Agoura girls’ water polo team defeated Westlake, 16-2, in the Marmonte League opener for both teams last week in a match played at Agoura High School.

In the win over the Warriors, nine Chargers scored in a balanced attack led by Lindsay Llewellyn and Ashley Coleman, both seniors, and Megan Corso, a freshman who scored three goals, and senior Nika Bagheri and Megan O’Linn, a junior, who each scored two goals.

Contributing one goal apiece were Amanda Fehoko, a junior, and two seniors, Stephanie Sears and Elisabeth Foitle.

Later in the week, Agoura topped Newbury Park, 18-0, with senior goalie Cassandra Ojeda recording the shutout, and Llewellyn scoring five goals, Corso adding four, O’Linn three, and Coleman and Bagheri two. With the two wins, Agoura improved to 7-2, 2-0.

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn TIGHT DEFENSE--Lindsay Llewellyn of Agoura has her shot taken away by Kelsey Reddick, left, and Christina Lamp of Westlake during Friday's game. Agoura dominated in the league opener, 16-2.

"This is our first league game and we wanted to come out strong and put in a good effort," said Charger coach Jason Rosenthal after the Westlake win. "The girls really worked hard over the winter break, and wanted to put it to good use, and I thought we played a pretty good team-game today."

Rosenthal’s Agoura team won a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship two years ago and his team is looking for its fifth straight league title. This year, unlike some in the past, he said there are no superstars on the team. Balanced scoring, he said, is a must.

"We were passing the ball around today, getting everybody involved," Rosenthal said. "This year we’re not going to rely on one girl to do it all. All our starters can be scorers this year—they’re all a threat."

Llewellyn agreed with her coach, noting that the winter break was a chance for the Chargers to work hard—at times with former Charger standouts—and to get better.

"We finished our Hell Week during this last winter break," Llewellyn said. "We had two weeks of hard conditioning and we got to practice with a lot of older girls that had come back and helped us out. We’re right where we need to be and we’re going to keep improving."

Llewellyn and goalie Ojeda said the Charger players have two main goals for this season. "I want to win league and keep our streak going, and to win CIF," Llewellyn said. "I definitely think we’ve got a chance."

Said Ojeda, "We have two goals, one to win league and another to win CIF. We can do that, I hope."

Ojeda said the team bonded on an August trip to Hawaii. "We got to come together as a team because we’re a new team."

About an upcoming contest with Royal slated for Tuesday, Ojeda said the Highlanders are usually the toughest league foe. "If we keep our heads in the game and play the way we normally do, we’ll do pretty well."

Llewellyn played on the team that won a CIF championship in 2001 and she compared this year’s squad with that one.

"That team had played together for four years straight since they were freshmen until senior year," Llewellyn said. "Unity on that team was very strong. On this year’s team, we haven’t all played together for the last four years, it’s like a new team all over again."

Rosenthal stressed that team-unity is necessary in this year’s campaign, too.

"Like the old saying, ‘Together everybody achieves more,’" Rosenthal said. "If we play more as a team, then good things will come for us. It’s not like years past where we had big superstars on the teams. This season they realize if we play together, it’s going to work better for us."

Junior Amy Antonsen anchors the Charger defense in front of Ojeda and other team members include seniors Natalie Fodich-Pitzer, Jessica Vrazilek and Jamie Moskowitz.