Mira Loma Water Polo Teams Seek Winning Formula

The water polo teams may be going through some growing pains with younger athletes but they have a positive attitude going into today's home matches against El Camino.

"Our goal is to win games but we have to continue to work together as a team," said Tyler Engquist, a junior who plays the wholeset position on the boys team, which was 4-3 going into a Tuesday match at River City in West Sacramento.

The boys team made the playoffs the past four seasons but had 12 seniors graduate last spring, coach Brian Peck said.

"It's a good group of juniors and we've been getting them to click," Peck said. " is our toughest competition, El Camino too... people may take us for granted."

The girls, meanwhile, are 0-2 in league games this season and have won only one league game in the past couple years but went 2-3 in a tournament earlier this season, said coach Cara Street.

"We're very new," Street said. "We've been doing lots of conditioning, rebuilding the girls' core and parents are saying they're seeing improvement."

Sophomore Zoe Ozdemir, a co-captain and goalie, said Street is the girls team's third coach in two years.

"She's worked us hard," Ozdemir said. "We play in a harder league and we hope we can make improvements each game."

The boys team is looking to get back in the postseason.

"We are going to the playoffs and hopefully the sectionals," said Vlad Rudoy, a junior utility player. "We have potential."

The girls will take it one game at a time.

"We're more enthusiastic about winning these games and learning more each time," said Chieri Ono, a junior wing player.

Today, the boys play at 4:45 p.m. and the girls go at about 5:30.

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Carmichael Patch will be at the games. Check back Thursday for photos and results.