Defence the key to City Beach Bears U16 title win

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Updated: October 5, 2015

PERTH’S City Beach Bears have taken out the Boys 16 and Under National Water Polo Club Championship title at the Hobart Aquatic Centre.

With their defence holding up in the final, the Bears defeated the defending champions, the Melville Sharks, 8-5.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears set up the win with a five-goal-to-nil second term, the first coming from Christian Kyriakou.

Goalkeeper of the tournament Harry Konowalous was at his brilliant best, holding out every Shark attack.

The Sharks finally hit the scoreboard in the third term, adding three goals, including two to tournament MVP Cody Smith, but were matched by the Bears, with two coming via William Lantzke and Kyriakou for his second.

City Beach coach Andrei Kovalenko told Water Polo Australia: “It was a very defensive game and at the end of the day our systems were better and our extra man defence was stronger than Melville’s.”

“We knew that we needed to neutralise Melville’s counter attack, and in particular their centre forward Cody Smith, who is a very strong player. Tom did a great job preparing the Sharks so it was a big challenge for us to stop them.

“We didn’t think about the score and the result throughout the game, we had to focus on what we were doing right and wrong and make sure that we concentrate on our strengths.

“Looking back on the result, I think we gained a lot of confidence by being the first team to score after a 0-0 first quarter, and it was probably the most important goal of the game.”

Source: Water Polo Australia