CdM alumna helps U.S. women’s water polo team overwhelm Canada in exhibition
LOS ALAMITOS — The journey to become one of the top women’s water polo players in the world was quick for Corona del Mar High alumna Maddie Musselman.
Her coming out party came as an 18-year-old at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was the second-leading scorer for Team USA, helping the Americans win their second straight gold medal.
Nearly five years later, Musselman has continued to progress. As for the Olympic gold medal, she and her teammates are ready to run that back this summer.
She led Team USA with four goals and two assists in a 17-5 exhibition win over Canada on Wednesday afternoon at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.
It was the second match since the coronavirus pandemic began for Team USA. The first was a 13-8 victory over the same Canada squad on Monday in Commerce. The teams complete the three-match series on Friday at 6 p.m., at Goleta Dos Pueblos High.
“It’s an opportunity, obviously, us to prepare for [Tokyo], but just an opportunity to play together,” Musselman said. “We haven’t been on the same team the whole time ... It’s exciting to get back those connections that we haven’t felt in a long time. With practice, as great as that is to prepare, it’s a lot different playing someone else.”
Musselman said the extra year in-between Olympics, which came when the 2020 Summer Games were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, was actually beneficial in terms of her leadership. She’s a three-time All-American at UCLA who will be a redshirt senior next year.
“I learned a lot, in terms of where I can go as a player, still being young but having a lot of experience,” she said. “Being able to go to Rio [de Janeiro in 2016] and have a different role than I have now, stepping into that, I think that extra year has helped me. I’m able to help out those who are a little bit newer and don’t have that same experience that a lot of us do have.”
The Olympic roster is scheduled to be announced June 3, and Team USA is ripe with locals who are eager for another opportunity to compete for the gold. Sisters Makenzie and Aria Fischer (Laguna Beach) and Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Harbor) also won gold in 2016. CdM graduate Stephania Haralabidis and Edison product Alys Williams are seeking their first Olympic appearance.
Additionally, veteran Melissa Seidemann, who completed her first year as CdM girls’ water polo coach this year, is a two-time gold medalist.
Each contributed to Team USA’s blowout win Wednesday. Haralabidis had three goals and an assist — one of the goals of the no-look variety — while Williams scored twice.
Gilchrist led Team USA with three assists, while Aria Fischer and Seidemann each scored once. Makenzie Fischer had an assist. The Americans were stout defensively, opening up a 6-0 lead before Canada scored midway through the second quarter.
“We talked about improving defensively as a team coming off of last game,” Williams said. “The first three quarters, we held them to two goals, which is really positive. But it’s also like, the last quarter they scored three, so how can we improve that for next time? We’re happy with the effort ... but it’s about closing out the final quarter as well.”
Team captain Maggie Steffens and Rachel Fattal each added two goals for the winners.
The Olympics are about two months away, as Team USA begins on July 24 against host Japan.
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