JUG 3, Mladost 0
The championship is finally over! For
the first time in the history of Croatian water polo (which started
in 1923) we swept the best of five series in three straight games.
And the final game was definitely one to remember.
We stared off up 2- 0 with two goals
from the center. Then over the next two periods we got outscored 4 -
0, making the halftime score 4 - 2. But in the final two quarters we
outscored Mladost 8- 3 to secure a win.
Immediately after the buzzer ended the
last quarter, our coaches, presidents and fans rushed the pool,
jumped in and began celebrating together. Our fans were begging for
us to throw them all of our gear, so all of the practice balls, caps
and robes disappeared into the crowd of five thousand strong.
During the ceremony they gave us two
gold medals and a Championship Cup the size of a small person.
The celebrating continued at a
restaurant where the entire tab was paid for and the whole town was
involved. I think we all got home around five or six in the morning,
completely exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.
Looking back, this really was an
amazing year. We played over 50 games, won the Croatian Cup in
December, the Adriatic league in April and now the Croatian National
Championship in May. Our only loss was at the European Championships
(Final Four), but without two of our starters we still managed to get
there and compete well.
I will be coming back next year and
hopefully our other two starters will also be healthy enough to
return. So then maybe we can add the Final Four to our list of wins!
Anyways, stay tuned for the World
League Competition that starts on June 16th. I will be
training alone in Croatia until my National Teammates arrive next
week. I’m excited to see them all again and to start competing for
the USA.
Good luck to everyone, and email me
with any questions or comments.