MSN_091919

malibusurfsidenews.com sports
Malibu surfside news | September 19, 2019 | 27
Sharks take sixth in 19th annual home tournament
Malibu water polo
growing together in,
out of the pool
Michal Dwojak
Assistant Editor
Sometimes, spending
as much time as possible
together is a good way to
build team chemistry.
That’s what Malibu High
School boys water polo
coach Hayden Goldberg
hoped for during the program’s
19th annual varsity
tournament, held Thursday,
Sept. 12, through Saturday,
Sept. 14.
Team chemistry is a major
area in which Goldberg
wants to help his team, and
while playing a lot seems to
be a good way to build it,
spending time together hosting
the tournament seemed
like a logical second option.
“I thought it was a good
chemistry-building tournament
for us,” Goldberg said
of the weekend. “We’re still
trying to find the identity of
our team and this week [we
were] solidifying key roles,
key players, different situations
and trying out different
options. So I feel like it
went well.”
Out of 14 teams, the
Sharks finished sixth, with
wins over Hueneme and
Royal, a tie with Culver
City and a loss to Newbury
Park.
The day before the tournament
got underway, the
players and their coach
met on the beach to discuss
what they wanted to
accomplish and how they
could reach their goals for
the tournament.
Goldberg said he saw his
team make some strides, but
the Sharks also missed some
opportunities. The major issue
was not scoring with a
man advantage. Malibu had
a few chances when its opponents
made errors, but
couldn’t figure things out.
“We’re doing everything
possible to earn these exclusions,
we’re not being
able to finish,” Goldberg
said. “That’s frustrating on
a coaching side and player
side.”
There were bright spots
for the Sharks, with players
Matt Maischoss, Diogo
Fernandez and Ocean Masom
performing well. Those
Sharks were some of the
players who made the most
of the weekend and showed
the progress Goldberg has
looked for so far this season.
“They all individually
played big roles,” Goldberg
said. “I saw a lot of
growth and development as
the game progressed. I saw
confidence in each of the
players.
“By the second and third
game, they were aware of
that mistake and how it happened
and trying to rotate
[and] not have it happen
again.”
The tournament was
not only a good way for
the team to grow, but also
for the Sharks players and
coaches to be part of a historic
tournament. Families
from the area and of past
water polo players came to
the tournament — serving
as a reminder that while
there’s work to be done during
the season, it’s fun to be
a part of something bigger.
“It’s really cool — a lot
of games, a lot of people,
lot of water polo,” Goldberg
said. “I feel proud to
be a part of it.”
Connor McGuirk takes aim as the Sharks face Royal the morning of Saturday, Sept. 14, in the Malibu Tournament.
Photos by Suzy Demeter/Surfside News
Ocean Masom was one of the players who showed
progress in the Malibu Tournament, according to coach
Hayden Goldberg.
The Sharks, led by coach Hayden Goldberg (left),
took sixth in the 19th annual Malibu Tournament, held
Thursday, Sept. 12, through Saturday, Sept. 14.