Erin Holder has saved her team almost as well as she has been saving goals. The Warriors are 2-6, but Holder has been progressing since their original goalie, Jordyn Greene, left the team.
“I’ve never been a goalie,” Holder said. “I was willing to do it, and I actually do like it a lot. I mean I’m improving day by day.”
Holder has increased her average from two to three blocks a game to five or six, says water polo coach Corey Stanbury.
“She’s making a lot of progress on a daily basis and she’s increased the number of blocks she is getting in every game,” Stanbury said.
In the Mt. SAC tournament, September 19-20, the Warriors placed ninth and lost to Mt. SAC (14-8), San Diego Mesa (13-5), and Fullerton (16-6), but won a decisive victory over Rio Hondo (14-6). Before the tournament, EC faced off against Cerritos on September 17 and lost 21-4.
The team has one lineup of nine, which, when compared to teams with twice as many players, is a severe disadvantage. When fatigue sets in the players cannot be substituted out of the game.
Haley Canning and Erica Shaw have been playing at a peak level, said Stanbury. Both players have been communicating with their team in the water to involve others in scoring and to set up shots.
“I was happy with how we played in our games. We played smart water polo in doing the things that we wanted to do,” Shaw said. “We were deliberate on offense and deliberate on defense.”
Several players have also had to leave the team because of temporary injury or permanently due to personal matters.
“We’ve been kind of snake bit with in eligibilities and some injuries,” water polo coach, Corey Stanbury said. “Some people were going to play, but then had family situations so they had to quit and go to work.”
Former goalie Greene is one example of an absence that has hurt the team. Some are trying to focus on the present instead of what might have been with Greene still in the goal.
“We don’t really try and think about that we don’t have Jordyn,” Shaw said. “We have what we have, we’re going to do as best we can with what we have.”
Holder has been playing effectively in Greene’s place and the rest of the season may hinge on her abilities. So far, there have been some saves by Holder that have kept EC in the game.
“I’m getting better very slowly, but I enjoy it so that’s all that matters to me” Holder said.