2024 AUSTRALIAN WATERPOLO LEAGUE - WEEKEND 2 WRAP
Published Tue 13 Feb 2024
The second weekend of the 2024 Australian Waterpolo League season did not disappoint, with Pride Round showcasing exciting games and thrills aplenty.
Catch up on all the highlights…
UWA Torpedoes v Hunter Hurricanes
Thursday and Friday nights opening games saw the UWA Torpedoes host the Hunter Hurricanes for a series of games that stressed the home-town advantage.
A dominant performance by the Western Australian team saw the UWA men triumph 16-8 on Thursday before backing it up with a 17-3 win on Friday night.
Similarly in the women’s, the UWA Torpedoes took full advantage of playing in their home waters, coming away with a 20-7 win on Thursday night and a 19-6 scoreline on Friday.
Victorian Phoenix v ACU Cronulla Sharks
Caulfield Grammar School played host to the Victorian Phoenix and ACU Cronulla Sharks over the weekend, in the first games of the season for the Victorian teams.
After an incredibly tight, high-scoring game, the Phoenix men ultimately got the job done in a penalty shoot out, 26-25 on Saturday evening. Not to be kept down for long, the Sharks bit back on Sunday and claimed the win with a final score of 11-9.
In the women’s, the Sharks notched two wins over their competition, winning 12-7 on Saturday and 16-11 on Sunday.
Griffith University Queensland Thunder v UTS Balmain Tigers
After travelling up to sunny Queensland, the UTS Balmain Tigers faced Griffith University Queensland Thunder in Brisbane at the Fortitude Valley Pool.
In the men’s, the Tigers came out firing, defeating the Thunder 17-6 and 12-5.
The women’s Thunder team returned the favour, winning 11-5 and 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers squad member Elle Armit celebrated her 200 games in the Australian Waterpolo League over the weekend.
Fremantle Mariners & Marlins v Hunter Hurricanes
Home games for the Fremantle Mariners and Marlins saw them determined to secure points towards their AWL campaigns.
The Mariners (men) edged past their rivals to win 11-9 and 9-8 on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The Marlins (women) produced some dominant performances, confidently claiming victory and the associated points with a 22-8 win on Saturday evening and a 15-3 win on Sunday morning.
FYFE Adelaide Jets v Drummoyne Devils
The South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre saw the FYFE Adelaide Jets and the travelling Drummoyne Devils go head-to-head over the weekend
Saturday saw the Devils men defeat the Jets 19-4. The Devils played to their strengths again on Sunday and secured a 23-14 win, courtesy of eight goals from Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks squad member, Tristan Glanznig.
Drummoyne were not to be messed with in the women’s games either, with final scores of 17-6 and 18-9 in favour of the Sydney team.
UWA Torpedoes v Sydney Lions
Tight scores were the theme of the UWA Torpedoes and Sydney Uni Lions games over the weekend, with both clubs claiming two out of four wins each by the end of the weekend.
The Sydney Uni Lions men’s team won both games against their Western Australian rivals. Both close and exciting games saw final scores of 11-8 and 9-7 on Saturday and Sunday in that order.
The official leading scorer in the women’s competition for the week, UWA’s Pippa Pedley, scored 10 goals over two games against the Lions, also reaching her 100 game milestone for the Torpedoes in Saturday’s match. Her goals secured two wins for the west-coast team, 10-6 and 14-11.
