Monte Vista Girls Water Polo Preview: Mustangs Begin Drive for Five

School: Monte Vista
Sport: Girls water polo
Coach: Scott Getty
2009 record: 27-1
Key returners: Maggie Steffens, Rachel Mitchell, Jessica Lawrence, Katy Tomalenas
Quote: "We can (repeat as NCS champs). I don't know if we will, but we have what it takes." – Coach Scott Getty

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So just exactly how do you improve on a near perfect season?

That is the question facing Monte Vista High girls water polo coach Scott Getty as he prepares his team for the upcoming 2010 campaign.

In 2009, the Mustangs rolled to a 27-1 record marred only by a non-league loss to Menlo-Atherton and easily secured the East Bay Athletic League crown. They continued their domination through the playoffs by winning their fourth-straight North Coast Section championship, the sixth section title the team has won in the last seven years.

While most coaches might find the challenge of trying to improve on near perfection a daunting task, Getty literally has an ace up his sleeve.

Senior Maggie Steffens, the only player currently on the U.S. National team who is still in high school, is the unquestioned leader of the Mustangs and will draw a lot of attention when Monte Vista is on offense.

"She makes my job easier," Getty said. "She'll draw some double-teams and we have some other players that are pretty good (at scoring). We'll be looking for the mismatches that creates."

Getty compared the havoc Steffens will cause on opposing defenses to the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant teams of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Defenses naturally gravitated toward Shaq and that left the other guys open," Getty said.

Even with Steffens facing extra defensive attention she will find a way to get her goals in the Mustangs attack, an attack that averaged 16 goals per game in 2009 and should not face any trouble in scoring this year off the counter attack.

Where Monte Vista's season and its championship hopes will be made or broken will be on defense. Last year's team only gave up an average of three goals a game and this year's team will need to be just as stingy.

"Defense and counterattack," Getty said. "Those are the keys to our season."

Goalie Rachel Mitchell will anchor both the defense and counter attack in net and fellow seniors Jessica Lawrence and Katy Tomalenas will likely be the beneficiaries of the mismatches created by Steffens.

If there is any chink in Monte Vista's armor, it will be in that they will field three freshmen players on this year's varsity squad. But Getty does not appear to be overly concerned.

"They are playing well," Getty said. "They will get some game time and I hope they will work their way to more playing time."

Monte Vista opens the season at the Acalanes Tournament on Sept. 10 and opens league play six days later against Carondelet as it starts its drive for a fifth-straight section title.

"We can do it (win five in a row)," Getty said. "I don't know if we will, but we have what it takes."

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