14&U AND 18&U CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT AUSTRALIAN YOUTH WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PERTH

After a thrilling finals day of the first week of the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships (AYWPC), the 14&U and 18&U champions were crowned at HBF Stadium in Perth today.

To watch all the replays of today’s gold medal matches - click here

Check out the highlights from some of the medal matches today…

14&U BOYS GOLD | SYDNEY UNI LIONS 8 d SNB BREAKERS 6

Sydney Uni Lions roared as one to win gold in the 14&U Boys Gold final, defeating cross town rivals SNB Breakers 8-6.

Both teams started strong, with nothing separating them in the first quarter, before Sydney Uni Lions powered home to deliver a 2-goal victory.

Sydney Uni Lions player Sebastian Atra said he was super happy to win the game after a really tough battle in the pool.

“It was a very tough game, it was a very tight game, we did what we had to do,” Atra said.

“We all played as a team not individuals and I think we did great. I’m so happy for the boys, that was a really great game,” he said.

Atra said it was extra special being able to get the win for their beloved coach Lindsay Cotterill.

“He’s very special and it was amazing to win for him,” Atra said.

“He always thought that we were a great team, and he had no doubt that we could have done this,” he said.

UTS Balmain Tigers finished third, defeating UWA 3-1.

14&U GIRLS GOLD | MERMAIDS PINK 4 d UTS BALMAIN TIGERS 3

In the 14&U Girls gold medal match, Mermaids Pink sealed a one-goal victory to win gold.

The teams were neck and neck throughout the four quarters, both Mermaids and Sydneysiders UTS Balmain Tigers playing some sensational water polo.

In the end, it was Mermaids who managed to get the upper hand, claiming a 4-3 win.

Mermaids’ player Poppy Lochran said it was a very emotional win for her team.

“It means the world, we put so much effort into that. I was crying before our coach, our coach has been crying every game we’ve won because we just put in so much effort and it paid off,” Lochran said.

“We had a small team talk before the game, and we played that for her. She’s not only a great coach but she encourages us, and we know if we need something we can go to her. She’s so trustworthy, and she’s more like a second mum to us. It was so cool to be able to do that for her.

“Our coach had to tell us at the start that people were watching, but we had to play our own game. But their support led us to the gold medal,” she said.

AHS Navy finished third, defeating SNB Breakers in the 14&U Girls third place final.

18&U GIRLS GOLD | MERMAIDS PINK 9 d MATS POLO 7

After winning as a team in 12&U, 14&U and 16&U, Mermaids Pink have completed the clean sweep winning the 18&U Girls final in Perth today.

Matching up against MATS Polo from the USA, the game was close for the full four quarters, Mermaids edging ahead with only minutes to spare.

Mermaids’ Phoebe Fredericks said she couldn’t be happier than winning another gold medal with her best friends.

“It feels amazing - we put so much work and effort into it so for it to come together and get the win is just amazing,” Fredericks said.

“We knew it was going to be tough, but with all our strategies in place we knew we could beat them.

“We’re all so close and we all have each other’s backs. We all know that we’ll be there for each other both in and out of the water,” she said.

As an older member of the team, the 2023 AYWPC doubles as Fredericks last junior event, making for an emotional win.

“That’s why I’m so happy, and why people are more emotional because every year we’ve been building towards this final year. To see it all come together, and to get the win, it’s just incredible,” Fredericks said.

It was an extra special day for Fredericks, who not only got to celebrate the gold medal win but also her birthday!

“I always wanted to get a win on my birthday, and finally did it,” Fredericks said.

UTS Balmain Tigers finished third, defeating Polo Bears 11-5 in the 18&U Girls final.

18&U BOYS | SYDNEY UNI LIONS 11 d UWA 6

In the final game of the day, Sydney Uni Lions upset local side UWA to win 11-6 in the 18&U Boys gold medal final.

Sydney Uni’s Zac Izzard said it was a dream come true for his side.

“It just feels amazing - all the boys have been putting in so much effort over the months we’ve been preparing and it’s all paid off today,” Izzard said.

“They [UWA] are a really strong side, they’ve got lots of strong players so we knew it was always going to be a tough game coming into it. But we just had the mindset and the drive to win.

“We just all get each other, we have that natural chemistry. Everywhere we look, we just have that vision for each other so it really works out,” he said.

Under the watchful eye of coach Dragan Bakic, Izzard said the team were also happy to get the win for their coach.

“The last couple of years have been tough, but we’ve just really stepped up as a team and he [Dragan] just prepared us perfectly for this kind of setting, so it’s great,” Izzard said.

Melbourne Collegians finished third, with a 1-goal victory against UNSW Wests in the third place final.

For full results from today’s 2023 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships Week 1 Finals - click here