Malibu High School’s boys water polo team is continuing its winning ways midway through the season.
The 10-1 defending CIF Southern Section champions defeated the Westlake Warriors 8-4 to win the Malibu Water Polo Tournament for the ninth time.
Shark Hans Cole said Malibu entered the four-day tournament focused on grabbing the title.
“This is our tournament and it would have been really bad if we lost,” the 2014 All-CIF first team member said. “I feel really good about the win.”
Sharks head coach Mike Mulligan said the team did a good job on defense.
“We need some work getting comfortable on offense, but defensively, we are doing well,” he said.
The Sharks defense was led by goalkeeper Charlie Dijker, who had eight blocks, and Kai Schulz with four steals.
Hans and Phil Camapanella, another All-CIF first teamer, led the Sharks in scoring with two goals. Tor Cole also scored a goal, along with Schulz, Spencer Sinding and Seamus Harrington.
Camapanella scored first for the Sharks at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter. He took a pass from Sinding and gave Malibu a 1-0 lead by hitting a striking shot from the middle of the pool.
Malibu led 4-1 at halftime.
Sinding increased the lead to 5-1 when he scored on the Sharks first possession after the break. After the score, goalkeeper Dijker blocked a Westlake shot.
Schulz scored off a pass from Hans to give Malibu a 6-3 lead before the fourth quarter.
Mulligan said the Sharks had a really good third period.
“Defensively, we stepped it up a notch and offensively, we got a counter attack,” said the coach.
Hans scored twice in the fourth quarter to give Malibu the four-point win.
The Sharks beat Agoura’s junior varsity team 12-6 in the tourney’s semifinal match.
Camapanella and Sinding led Malibu with four goals each. Hans scored three times, and Schulz scored once.
In pool play on the tournament’s first day, Malibu knocked off Pacifica and Righetti’s JV squads. Dijker had 12 blocks against Oxnard.
The Sharks have over a dozen games left in the regular season.
Mulligan said the team doesn’t have any type of championship hangover.
“The team is really motivated,” he said. “It is a lot more cohesive group from top to bottom. I think we have a lot of depth, and the kids have great attitudes.”
The senior leader Hans said Malibu had good players from last season’s team, but the Sharks are focused on playing at the constantly good level.
“We got some … freshman and sophomores, so I am really excited about that,” he said. “Our chemistry has really come together compared to the beginning of the season.”
Hans added that winning the Malibu tourney cements a winning tone for the rest of the season.
“Westlake was a tough team, and we will see tougher teams in the future,” he said.
