Women’s Water Polo Preview: Returning Talent Leads Hungry Championship Mindset

The Riverside City College women's water polo program has earned a 2019 State Championship Runner up and a 2017 Third Place finish since winning their last state title in 2016. The Tigers look to reroute that ship and lead themselves to another state championship behind strong returns, talented incoming weapons and a seasoned coaching staff that demands positive culture.

Riverside reached the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern Regional tournament last season and fell to Orange Empire Conference (OEC) foe Fullerton in the second round. It began as a low scoring affair with Riverside only trailing by two goals after the first half, but the second half deemed too much for the Tigers.

"It was definitely a unique and challenging year last year," said Head Coach Doug Finfrock. "Not being able to recruit how we normally do make a difference in the team we put together. However, it was season I am very proud of. The commitment from our girls, especially this year's returners, gave them a strong foundation to be successful this season."

The Tigers are challenged right off the bat by participating the Orange Coast College Tournament featuring a showdown against Fullerton in non-conference play right out of the gate. They will also meet up with Sierra and Citrus to round out tournament play.

They waste no time jumping into conference action by playing Golden West, followed by their Riverside Tournament and two back-to-back conference games featuring Saddleback and Orange Coast. A handful of tournaments that feature the Cuesta Tournament and two Long Beach tournaments will sandwich the end of regular season play.

"It's by design," said Finfrock about the structured schedule. "We can easily hide, but we want to play the best teams. It's necessary to be where we want to be. We will play teams like Santa Barbara and Fullerton and it is an opportunity to develop, evaluate and be successful."

Riverside returns a group of heavy hitters on offense that features sophomore tandem Amber Nielsen and Lauren Nelson.

Nielsen, who saw time in 26 games, led her squad with 65 goals, 44 assists and 24 drawn ejections. She was an asset on the defensive end as well by ranking second with 31 steals. Nielsen scored at least one goal in all but one contest highlighted by a six goal outburst against Fullerton. She scored five goals on five separate occasions all coming in victories. She finished the season ranked third overall in conference scoring. Furthermore, she was one the other end of many goals by dishing out one assist in 22 games featuring a four-assist game against Long Beach.

Nelson was equally as impressive and could have led the team in goals, but missed the first seven games of her inaugural campaign. Nevertheless, she ranked second on the team with 50 netters. She added 25 assists, 14 steals and 12 ejections. She began her career on a seven-game scoring streak where she scored two or more goals in each game leading to 20 scores. In that span, she recorded a pair of four-goal games both coming in double-digit victories.

Sophomore Taylor Mason returns after scoring 48 goals, while freshman Lauren Loffelmacher will lead the defensive charge after pacing her squad with 48 assists. Her total ranked fifth in conference.

It was goalkeeper by committee last season, but sophomore Gabriella Fisher is the lone returner between the pipes. She started 13 games and recorded a 10-6 overall record. She earned 119 saves in 60 quarters of action. 

"We have high expectations for the returners and we have talked about it. Leadership is the most important quality they will bring. They've been doing a great job so far leading by example and coaching the newcomers within the water. Everything is progressing a lot faster this year."

While Finfrock will lean heavily on his returning brigade, he will look to the incoming freshman to make waves early on.

"Freshman wise, we have Jessie Nelson who will be a strong strong center. She has a great shot and gets up and down pool really well. Kylee Hieda is tapping into her potential and we expect great things from her. Jaden Johnson has amazing work ethic and ability. Annabella Storar came in late, but her water polo IQ is off the charts. She is doing the right things and is a creative playmaker on both ends."

The last time the Tigers reeled in a state title was in 2016. Finfrock is looking to get back their not only with skill, but the important intangibles.

The important thing is that we come together as a team and building foundation while relying on fundamentals. It takes everyone to buy in and play for one another. We have talent and work ethic, but need to display attributes like character. If we can do that and not as individuals, then we will be a scary opponent."