Cate Girls Water Polo’s Playoff Fight
February 12, 2024
Cate home game on the Mesa. Image by Katie
The attackers push the ball up the field. Image by Katie
A Brave Effort Against Division Leaders
Yesterday, February 7th, our Cate Girls water polo team hosted a first-round CIF playoff game versus El Modena High School. This was our first playoff appearance in seven years and our girls were fired up and ready to compete. El Modena is the number one ranked team in CIF Div. 6, so we knew it was going to be a challenge for us, but we were prepared for it.
The first period was really strong for us. Caroline Keohane ’24 got the scoring started for both teams with an excellent breakaway counter goal. El Modena had a really strong goalkeeper but Caroline was able to put her opportunity away. After the first period, we were feeling good in a 1-1 game.
The second period and the rest of the game was increasingly challenging for us. El Modena was able to capture momentum off of multiple stops and scores. They had a sound defensive game plan and their players executed it well. Despite their strong defense, Kate McCoy ’25 was able to get a strong outside finish to go in at the end of the second period. At the half, we trailed 7-2.
Daisy Gemberling ’25 makes another save. Image by Katie
Focused team huddle. Image by Katie
In the third period, Lucy Guilbert Neal ’25 broke away on a counterattack and earned us a penalty shot. She stepped up and delivered a strike to the low left corner. In the fourth quarter, Carmen Lack ’26 found the back of the net on a terrific shot from close. She was able to step away from a hanging defender and score right over the goalie’s head. Finally, Caroline Keohane got her second goal of the match with an outside shot on a power play opportunity. In the end, El Modena would leave the Mesa with a 16-5 win.
Despite the loss, I was extremely proud of our girls this game and this entire season. This was a resilient team that accomplished a lot this season and they should all be proud of their efforts. Next season we return a large percentage of our team, so we hope to build on this year’s success. Thank you to our seniors Claire Clark, Karla Camacho, Caroline Keohane, and Angie Zoric for all of your contributions to the program during your time at Cate. Thank you to the Cate community for the constant support throughout the season!