Girls Water Polo: Ramona Tops West Hills

A pair of improving high school girls water polo teams were able to gauge their early season success Wednesday when Ramona and West Hills met in a non-league contest at Santana High.

Brianna Hogervorst, a first-generation American of Dutch parents, powered the offense with a pair of goals and three assists, allowing Ramona to pull away to an 8-1 victory with five unanswered goals in the second half.

"Our defense had been sloppy, but tonight it was extrodinary," noted Hogervorst, a junior who plays the position of driver. "We're going to be a good team, which has me very excited."

Hogervorst opened the scoring with an unassisted goal in the early going, then converted an Angelina Uriostegui pass for a power play goal from the left wing for a 2-0 lead.

Early in the second half, Hogervorst then stayed back and helped goalie Tiffany Larson with two key steals in front of the Bulldogs' goal to break up West Hills scoring opportunities.

Larson stopped all but one of 13 shots fired by the Wolf Pack. On the lone goal by Sara Hamm, Larson came off her line to prevent a one-on-one clash, getting a major portion of the ball, but it slowly floated into the cage to pull West Hills within a goal at 2-1 in the second period.

"Tiffany brings a ton of enthuisiam to the team," added Hogervorst. "She brings you up if you're down."

Uriostegui and Morgan Gunderson also scored twice for Ramona.

West Hills was able to stay in the game deep into the third period despite playing in the absense of its head coach.

"It forced us to rely on each other and proved we learned what we're supposed to do," said senior Kendall Barkley, a co-captain and a 4.50 honors student for West Hills. "We have a solid group of girls, but we're still young."

With so much youth, the Wolf Pack hope to challenge for a league title in 2011-12, just in time for the grand opening of a new aquatics center on their own campus following 20 years of commuting down Mast Boulevard to use the pool at their neighborhood rival, Santana.

"We just had a ground-breaking ceremony, so I'm hoping to be playing there for my senior year," noted junior goalie Stacy Kimari. "And we're definitely growing and bonding, so we should be ready for next season."

Kimari is also an accomplished acustic guitar player, while Barkley is a leader on the campus' Christian Life Club while also volunteering as a teacher's assistant at her old elementary school.

West Hills entered the contest following its strongest-ever finish at the 36-team Los Altos Invitational last weekend, placing eighth among 10 schools in the upper-division group   The Wolf Pack also lists Jessica Lazor, Sarah Pishny and Meagan Perrins in their starting unit.

Ramona's other starters feature Rebecca Van Tol, Bianca Virgilio, Paulina Bernd and Laura Jones..  

Ramona          1       2       2       3   --   8

West Hills       0      1       0      0    --  1

RAMONA -- Goals: Brianna Hogervorst 2, Angela Uriostegui 2, Morgan Gunderson 2, Cassie Bernas 1, Laura Jones 1. Assists: Brianna Hogervorst 3, Angela Uriostehui 1, Laura Jones 1, Savanagh Mills 1, Morgan Gunderson 1. Saves: Tiffany Larson 12.

WEST HILLS -- Goal: Sara Hamm. Assist: Jessica Ratliff. Saves: Stacy Kimari 8.

Special to Ramona Patch and Santee Patch from East County Sports.com.