Girls water polo: Estancia begins healing process

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Unanswered questions may be answered, tension could be

resolved and compromises will most likely be made at a 10 a.m. meeting

today at Estancia High that could bring peace to the Eagles’ girls water

polo team.

Estancia Principal Tom Antal set up the meeting to address issues that

led to the Eagles forfeiting Wednesday’s Pacific Coast League game with

Corona del Mar. Antal said he “invited” the players, Coach Michelle

Spanley and Girls Athletic Director Nancy Ferda to the meeting.

“It’s been an emotional week for the girls,” Antal said while watching

Estancia drop a 22-4 nonleague game to visiting Savanna Thursday. “We

just need to talk about where they are at.”

The Eagles (2-9, 0-2 in league) have struggled, largely due to

inexperience. Of the 22 varsity players who began the season, 13 were not

only new to the team, but new to water polo.

Ferda said a handful of Eagle players threatened to boycott

Wednesday’s game. Ferda said, Spanley came to her Wednesday morning

reporting about five players had informed her they were not going to play

against the Sea Kings.

“Our forfeiture in league is a very big thing,” Antal said. “I want to

talk to the team and make sure everybody had a chance to deal with the

issues. I would like to resolve the residual feelings that would impair

the girls finishing the season.”

As of Thursday, the varsity roster listed 12 players, but the team was

without seniors Anna Rasmussen and Katie Menden Thursday.

Both appeared before the varsity game, but left because Menden had to

go to work. They said they were suspended from the team Wednesday because

of disagreements with Spanley. They would not comment further, but said

they hope to resolve the issue at today’s meeting.

Spanley would not confirm whether the seniors were indeed suspended.

“I do whatever I’m instructed to do,” said Spanley, a third-year coach

who teaches special education at the school.

Said Antal, “I’m not going to talk about individual players. But,

nobody is suspended.”

When asked if there were any temporary or game suspensions Antal said,

“Any internal discipline that we had is a game-by-game thing ... that’s

the internal stuff between a kid and a coach.”

Against Savanna, the Eagles managed to score four goals. Estancia’s

new goalie, Laura Morton, collected nine saves in her first game in place

of Rasmussen. Four of her saves came in the third period and she anchored

a defense that held the Rebels to one goal in the second quarter.

“They’ve gained more experience,” Spanley said. “We only had five

veteran players play. They’re gaining knowledge of playing with each

other. I’m really proud of them. They came together as a group. They were

down some players and they played a good game, a game they could be proud

of.”

In her first year with the team, junior Diana Alderete said she has no

regrets about switching from basketball to water polo. But, Wednesday’s

forfeit did not satisfy her.

“It was frustrating,” she said. “Because when you don’t know the whole

story ... that’s what made it frustrating.”