For the second time in three years, Seminole High’s girls water polo players hoisted a state championship trophy and completed a perfect season with a 31-0 record.
The Seminoles held off West Orange 8-4 in Saturday’s final at the Belen school’s aquatic center in Miami.
Seminole handed West Orange (24-3) its losses this season.
“It gets tougher each time you face a team again, especially when they’re the second-best team in the state,” Seminole coach Ryan Ackerson said. “They played a physical game, but we always believe if we play really good defense, we can carry it over to the offense, even in a low-scoring game.”
Vivian Swain led the Seminoles with four goals, including a long-distance lob from about 9 meters late in the third quarter that snuck into the far left corner of the net over the goalie’s outstretched hand. Swain also had an assist.
“For her to get that to go in was huge for momentum going into the fourth,” Ackerson said.
Goalie Julia Pando also came up big early in the third when Seminole was up 5-2. She stopped a shot from about 6 meters; West Orange got the rebound close in, but Pando also stopped the follow-up attempt.
“We got outplayed in the first half and then matched them in the second half,” West Orange coach Jen Dailer said. “The girls played great defense, but weren’t converting goals.”
Halle Zimlich added two goals and an assist for Seminole. Raelynn Bouley had a goal and two assists and Abigail Coleman scored for the Seminoles.
Seminole High’s Vivian Swain scored four goals Saturday to lead the Seminoles over the West Orange Warriors and win the girls state water polo championship. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Bree Patrolia had an all-around effort for the Warriors with a goal, assist, three steals, four ejections and three field blocks. West Orange’s other goals came from Izzy Figueroa, Kate Beracoechea and Sasha Kasper.
In the boys state water polo final, St. Thomas Aquinas edged Ransom Everglades 14-12.