Lamorinda's 12Un Boys team won the 2010 Santa Cruz Invitational. Congratulations to all the players on a great team effort!

12Un Boys US Club Championship was a huge success as a result of your willingness to volunteer and we could not have pulled it off without you. THANK YOU!!!

The Women's FINA World League Super Final will run from June 28th through July 3rd at the Coggan Center in La Jolla, CA. Lamorinda athletes can watch the action live via USA Water Polo Live Webcast. Game schedule and recaps can be found at USAWP.

On July 26, 2010, LWP will be holding a party at OCC to celebrate our season. Please mark your calendars. More information to follow.

It was announced today by Head Coach Terry Schroeder that Jon Sibley, Peter Varellas, Mike Sharf, John Mann, Zac Monsees, and Jeff Tyrrell have been selected to the USA Men's Senior National Team training roster. These LWP alumni will join nine Olympians, including team captain Tony Azevedo, to lead the team into the summer competitions that include an exhibition series with Montenegro, the FINA World League Super Final and the FINA World Cup. More information regarding their summer game schedule may be found on the USAWP website. Congratulations gentlemen!

Over the Memorial Day weekend, the 2010 State Championship for 16Un and 18Un Boys. The entire weekend was filled with strong defense and amazing offense by some of the best athletes in the sport. Our 16Un boys successfully defeated Northwood, American River, 680, and Sacramento to secure a 5th place finish. The 18Un boys finished in 7th place this weekend with successful outcomes against HBWPC, American River, and after an 8 to 8 tie with Elite in bracket play, LWP boys defeated Elite in their second encounter to obtain the 7th place finish. Great job LWP athletes.

From Director Boyd Lachance..."I'd like to congratulate the 14-u Boys for winning the 1st State Cup Championship. Coach Derek Schauffler has always promoted team play, hard work, and defense as the foundation of team success and the boys clearly demonstrated this by winning this difficult and competitive tournament. I’m very, very happy for Derek and the team but also pleased in the manner they achieved it. Winning at all levels is enjoyable but its the journey that counts. I have received many congratulations this evening from coaches around the country and want our families to know this is a great moment we all need to share. All of us should be extremely proud. Great job to all!"

From Director Boyd Lachance..."It was also a successful weekend for our senior team as we placed 4th in the 2nd Annual Donald Fisher Tournament losing to Bruin 10-8 in the 3rd place game. Coming off of a 2 week layoff, the men had a tough row to hoe against extremely tough competition and they battled all the way. We're planning to have a small break, pick up early June for 12 days or so before leaving for Europe."

Please read the attached memo regarding important information about LWP and the summer season.

Lamorinda's senior men's team will be competing in the Fisher Cup Tournament May 21st through May 23 at Spieker Aquatics Complex located on the campus of University of California, Berkeley. Select schedule for the weekend game times. Select Online Tickets to get great presale prices. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Practice on Sunday will be from 11:00 to 1:00pm at the Soda Center, as previously communicaated. Practice on Tuesday, May 4th and Thursday, May 6th will move to Miramonte High School. Practice time remains on the same schedule 4:45 to 6:30pm.

Lamorinda's summer registration is now open. All athletes participating in our summer program will receive a LWP t-shirt and sticker. You may obtain the practice and tournament schedules under the main menu heading of "Calendars" under their respective listing. To register for LWP go to the main menu heading of "Register" and follow the directions.

We are pleased to announce that the UC Davis Mens Water Polo program was not cut from their varsity sports program. "Water Polo Planet led the charge and with the generosity and efforts of the entire water polo community, including UC Davis alumni, parents, friends, anonymous donors, individuals, coaches, referees, clubs, Zones from around the nation, Santa Clara University, The National Water Polo League, USA Water Polo, Kap7 and on and on--we all came together with a single purpose, and the news is out. WE HAVE DONE IT!!!"

Lamorinda Water Polo would like to honor one of the true hero’s of our sport who passed away last week. As a referee, Stephen Pal was a fair, enthusiastic, and a technically sound official. He was one of the most noticeable people on the deck as he was always smiling and talking to fans, players, and coaches in a friendly, positive manner. He grew up in Saratoga as an accomplished swimmer and polo player. His nieces and nephews play for 680, so his affinity for our program and area was clear. He was a true gentleman and will be sorely missed by our sport. Our sympathies go out to his wife and family.

In the National Water Polo League's benefit event, OCWPC defeated Lamorinda Water Polo Club before a sold-out crowd at JSerra CHS. Although it was an exhibition game, both teams came out and played strong. The game was defined by strong defenses on both sides. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Three Angels Children's Relief Program. A program dedicated to "coming together to help the children of Haiti by enriching their bodies with food, empowering their minds through education, and enlarging their spirits with love and compassion."

On February 9, 2010, Lamorinda's Hall of Fame Athlete, Peter Varellas, played in the World All-Stars vs. Italian Greats benefit for relief in Haiti. Check out the great clips Peter sent to Boyd. Team Introduction Varellas' Goal

Congratulations to our WinterFest athletes for their great performance. In the AA Divisions: 14Un Boys - Silver Medal; 18Un Boys Blue - 4th Place; 16Un Boys - 5th Place; 12Un Boys - 8th Place; 18Un Boys Gold - 11th Place. In the A Divisions: 16Un Boys Black - 3rd Place; 14Un Boys - 5th Place; 12Un Boys - 12th Place; and 16Un Boys Gold - 18th Place. In the Open Division: 16Un Girls tied for 7th

Boyd Lachance would like to extend his congratulations to all of our collegiate All-Americans for their successful 2009 season! In the Division 1 programs: Spencer Warden CAL 1st Team; Ivan Rackov CAL 3rd Team; Zach White CAL 3rd Team; Brian Dudley CAL Honorable Mention; Cory Nasoff CAL Honorable Mention; and Kent Holland BROWN Honorable Mention. In the Division 3 programs: Stephen Andron CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS Honorable Mention; and Brian Baier CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS Honorable Mention.

From now on your age for USAWP Zone Qualification Tournaments and National Championship events will be determined by your age on the first day of the respective National Championship competition. For example: Boys competing at the 2010 Junior Olympics in a 14U division will need to be 14 on Jul 31, 2010, similarly, Girls competing at the 2010 Junior Olympics in a 14U division will need to be 14 on Aug 5, 2010. This will allow players with formerly bad birthdays to complete in the lower age divisions longer, if they and their clubs choose to do so. This change applies to all age groups.

Congratulations to our LWP athletes recognized to the 2009 High School All-American Rosters. Nick Hoversten 1st Team; Jon Sibley 1st Team; Mike Kimble 3rd Team; Bryan Snyder 4th Team; Nick Cooper 5th Team; John Holland 6th Team; Joey Fabian 8th Team.

January 1st marks the beginning of a new calendar year for USAWP. Those athletes whose membership expired on December 31st, renewing your membership is required for continued participation. To register, go to USAWP and select member login.

Adjusted to December 19th only and cost is $195.00 The Boys High Performance Water Polo Camp and the Sean Nolan Goalkeeper Academy will teach water polo skills and tactics to young men in a team and camp environment with an optimal amount of pool time. For more information, go to Cal Camps. or contact Boyd Lachance at blachance@berkeley.edu

LWP Athletes named to the NCS All-Senior Team are Nick Cooper, Ryan Higgins, Tyler Hill, John Holland, Nick Hoversten, Morgan Kennedy, Mike Kimble, and Jon Sibley. Game is Saturday, December 12th at 1:30pm at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton following the Girls All Star Game.

The Pacific Zone Olympic Development Program (ODP) schedules for all ODP programs are now posted on the USAWP website.

Today, the #3 seed California Bears defeated #2 seed Stanford Cardinals in a 12-11 overtime semifinal match to earn their advancement to the championship match. The Bears will face the UCLA Bruins in the championship match at 3 pm PST on Sunday, November 29th at the McDonald's Swim Stadium on the campus of the University of Southern California. All LWP athletes and parents are asked to wear their LWP colors proudly tomorrow in support of the Bears. Go Bears!

As the high school season winds to a close, LWP would like to congratulate its athletes for their valiant efforts put forth during their high school season.

The following players have been selected for the Commerce 12U Boys team: Matt Zurnacian, William Hughs, Max Murphy, Mark Preston, Nima Anjedani, Jordan Hoover, Ben Westphal, Scott Zurnacian, Andrew Deaver, Grayson Judge, John Winther, Marc Davis, and Peter Brassinga. Good luck boys!

The pumping surf at Huntington Beach was no match for the Lamorinda 12& Unders. Saturday morning started early with a 7am match against Laguna. Lamorinda came out hot with precision passing from Mark Davis, Wylie Hughes and Jack Winther. Great teamwork and defense lead to a 9-1 victory with Jordan Hoover executing on several shots out of the hole position. The next match against San Diego Shores was an eye opener defeat that would serve us well for our next games. Coaches Trevor Wagner and Spencer Rodman instilled intense motivation, and inspired the team to a roadkill 11-3 win over Kahuna in a brutal physical battle lead by Ben Westphal and Yuri Hanley in 100 degree heat at the Tesoro High complex, the last game on Saturday. (Select News from main menu to see part 2)

On Sunday morning, the fog was low over the El Toro pool, but the passing and shots were crisp and clear. After a 3-0 lead, Foothill came back, and using a double hole- man set up, tied the game at 6-6 at the end of regulation. Time for a shoot-out. The first round of the shoot-out ended in a 4-4 tie. With Max Murphy, Jordan Hoover, Andrew Deaver, Nima Andejani, and Scott Zurnacian firing bullets into the corners, the next round of sudden death ended in a 5-5 tie. In the 3rd round, goalie Matt Zurnacian stopped a Foothill shot, and Jordan Hoover was able to fire the victory goal, a laser inside the left post, winning the match 17-16. What a great experience for all the players. Newport Beach was the next hurdle, and after a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Max Murphy and Jordan Hoover, a tough defensive battle ensued lead by Grayson Judge, Nima Andejani and Ben Westphal. Ultimately, the Newport team had to bite their way back and eked out a 3-2 victory over Lamorinda after several suspect referee calls. The last game of the day was for 5th place in the 18 team tournament against our long time nemesis – SOCAL. An early 4-1 lead evaporated in the 4th quarter, and Andrew Deaver made a backhand shot from hole set which found the back of the net, saving an 8-6 victory, and securing 5th place – the best finish ever for the Lamorinda12 & Unders. Great job guys!

At the 14U parent's meeting, Coach Derek spoke of the importance of nutrition for water polo athletes. The article Derek referenced, "What Should You Eat Before and After Water Polo" by Dante Dettamanti, can be found on the home page of Water Polo Planet www.waterpoloplanet.com.

Congratulations to LWP teams for their great performance in the National Junior Olympics. In the Platinum Division, the 18U A team had an outstanding tournament finishing in 2nd place. Both the 16U and 14U A teams each finished 10th their respective age groups. In the Gold Division, the 12U A team finished in 3rd place and the 12U B team finished in 8th place. The 18U B and 14U B teams finished 13th and 17th, respectively. Great job LWP athletes!

Congratulations to all participants of Lamorinda's 1st Annual Swim-a-thon. It was a successful event. A special thank you to Chris Watson for orchestrating and organizing the night’s festivities.

Congratulations to our USCC athletes and their accomplishments in Santa Barbara this past weekend. The 18U boys battled a tough game in the champsionship round to place 2nd. The 16U boys placed 8th and our 14U boys placed 10th.

Lamorinda received a letter of appreciation from USAWP CEO Chris Ramsey for our outstanding performance in hosting the USAWP's national tryout for the senior program. Thank you to the following members who volunteered their services for a very successful event:

Nancy Daniel, Scott Ostler, Jeff Nash, Rob Higgins, Steve Crocker, Bruce Nelson, Richard Whitmore, Jon Kennedy, Jake Kisner, Connor Mattox, Tyler Hill, Lynn Garrett, Noel Murphy, Nick Hoversten, Karen Brickman, Julie Whitsitt, Chris McCracken, Sonia Chan, and John Briskey.

Congratulations to the following Lamorinda players who were named to the California All-American High School Water Polo Teams: First Team: Stephen Siri & James Perry Second Team: Nick Hoversten Third Team: Tommy Briskey Fifth Team: Jon Sibley (G) Seventh Team: Danny Crocker Eighth Team: Bret Lathrope Tenth Team: Nick Cooper

Congratulations on a super performance! 12U Boys - 11th - AA Division 14A Boys - 3rd - AA Division 14B-Gold Boys - 4th - A Division 14B-Blue Boys - 7th - A Division 16A Boys - 2nd - AA Division 18U Boys - 2nd - AA Division