The Diablo 14-and-Under Water Polo team became the first team from Northern California to win a Gold medal in the prestigious Speedo Cup National championship recently held in St. Louis. The team won all six games and beat powerhouse Tustin from Southern California 7-6 in the Championship finals. The team is coached by Maureen O’Toole-Purcell, who won the silver medal playing on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team.
“The reason the girls had such great success was because we worked very hard in practice, were strong in all positions and just a great ‘team,'” said O’Toole-Purcell.
To prepare for the championship, the Diablo girls practiced every morning at 5:30 a.m. and returned in the afternoon to work out against the Diablo 14-and-under boys team. This intense practice paid off as they only lost two games out of 30 games in 2005. The two losses came against the Stanford 14 and under boys team.
Kelly Mendoza, who is Purcell’s daughter, led the team in the National Championship games with 26 goals and 20 assists. Maggie Steffans had 21 goals and nine assists; and Emilie Anderson had 32 saves.
In the championship game, Steffans scored three goals and one assist and received the Maggie O’Toole Award for most outstanding player of the tournament.
This year promises to be even more exciting, said O’Toole-Purcell, as all but two players will return with the lofty goal of bringing home another gold medal and national championship.
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