On Saturday, May 12, 2018, our Women of Troy Water Polo Team had a big lead of 8-2 against the UCLA Lady Bruins in the third period of our Semi-Final match in the NCAA Championships.
Head Coach Jovan Vavic had substituted liberally throughout the match, and we easily beat the Bruins 10-6 to reach the NCAA Finals on Sunday, May 13th. Our women hardly celebrated their victory over the Bruins. They knew that there was one more victory to go. We still have to beat the "rough" Stanford Cardinals to capture our sixth NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship. However, Trojan Candy was there to savor the victory!
On Sunday, May 13th, my sister Patti, brother-in-law Dudley Poon, friend Stephanie Miller and yours truly, Trojan Candy, arrived at noon for the 3:00 p.m. Championship match vs Stanford. I took this video of our Women of Troy Water Polo Team when they entered the stadium. The team was greeted with "Fight On's!"
Naturally, Pat, Dudley, Stephanie and I were the first in line and the first to climb the very steep stairs to the seats in the Uytengsu Aquatics Center. I was able to sit in my favorite and best place to take pictures on the south side of the Center.
With the score tied 4-4 with Stanford, our women broke out on a fast break. Trojan Candy could hear and feel the crowd excitement starting from the west end of the stadium and growing larger and larger as our women neared the Stanford goal. Then, there was an eruption of cheers when Denise Mammolito completed a "hat trick" with her third goal with 1:07 left in the match. I just barely recorded the leading (and eventually winning) goal!
Congratulations and FIGHT ON, Women of Troy 2018 NCAA Water Polo Champions!