Making History

History was made on Westminster’s campus on Oct. 10, as the water polo team hosted its first match in the history of the school. With a formidable Deerfield team visiting, the Martlets played in front of a packed house for the first half of the game. For many fans this was their first opportunity to see a water polo match in person, so the experience was eye-opening for many. This has been an educational season for all of the Martlet polo players, and this match was no exception. Deerfield opened up the scoring early, and stunned Westminster with its speed, and especially its physicality. This game, more than others this season, was particularly physical and exhausting for Westminster. Deerfield was unwilling to concede inside water, and open water was at a premium on offense and defense. Not to be thwarted, however, Westminster played a more physical game with each quarter. Jeremy Hopsicker ‘22, Max Larock ‘22 and Layton Harmon ‘21 all met with some fierce battles in the hole offensive position, and on a few occasions, Westminster was able to advance the ball towards the goal. Carter Henshaw ‘20 lobbed a nice ball towards the front of the net, and Hopsicker was able to capitalize by elevating and directing the ball into the net. Hopsicker would add another tally on a 5 meter penalty shot late in the game. Shane Wahlberg ‘19, the lone Sixth Former on the team, made some excellent saves in the second half of the game at both ends of the pool. In a season of firsts, this was a great way to learn what it will take to compete against league teams in the years ahead. Westminster will keep working on ball control, maintaining composure on offense and limiting time and space for the opposition. There was no quit in the Martlets on this day, and everyone earned playing time. Moving forward, hopefully Westminster can capitalize on the experiences it continues to have in the pool. Eaglebrook is up next.