Meeting expectations
 

Better communication helps Palomar women’s 2006 water polo team

By Joseph Peña | joey@tlnews.net

Thursday, September 7, 2006

There are more than wins and losses riding on Mandy Enriquez’s sophomore season with the Palomar College women’s water polo team.

The Comets’ returning utility player sustained a knee injury in a dodgeball game while working with her church’s youth group before the 2005 season.

She redshirted but attended every practice and every game with one goal in mind.

“This year is really important,” said Enriquez, a 2004 Vista High graduate who played for Palomar’s Pacific Coast Conference championship team in ’04.

“I want to play at the next level. I want schools to want me. It took a lot of patience last year to sit on the bench, but I needed to keep myself motivated. I told myself that hard work would pay off and it has.”

Enriquez is one of six returning players and will be an asset to the Comets this season. Paige Stephens, an all-conference selection and lefty assist leader last season, will return with Kali Pursehouse, another all-conference pick, Katherine Murray, Jewels Livingston and captain Erica Bergeson. They are joined by a standout freshman goalie, Vista’s Keira Kenney, who led the Panthers to the CIF finals last season.

Coach Kelly Falcone was anxious to start the new year before last season ended. She saw the potential for a cohesive group, with leadership and fresh talent. So far, the women have met her expectations.

“Having a core group of returning players is such a huge benefit,” Falcone said. “The girls are out there to lead and lead by example. We have such awesome leadership.”

The team’s participation in the Hawaiian Invitational this summer helped set the tone for the first few weeks of practice. The Comets faced elite athletes and professional women’s teams at the tournament.

“It was such an awesome challenge to play such higher caliber teams than what we will see this season,” Falcone said.

The experience solidified the team members’ bond and helped them learn to communicate more efficiently.

Despite two losses in the Chaffey Mini-Tournament last week, the Comets’ chemistry is leaps and bounds better than it was last season.

“We’re definitely playing more as a team and communicating much more,” Enriquez said.

Bergeson and Stephens agreed.

“I like the energy in the water,” said Bergeson, a 2004 Rancho Buena Vista graduate. “We always have skilled players, but there is so much more togetherness this year. We’re talkative and we encourage each other.”

“We are playing as more of a unit now,” Stephens said.

Reach reporter Joseph Peña at 760.752.6741.