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Bears post 18-7 victory over Na Alii in water polo opener

First MIL match since 2020 proves to be learning experience for all

By Robert Collias 5 min read

WAILUKU -- Some of the last Maui Interscholastic League athletic contests before COVID-19 shut things down on March 13, 2020, were girls water polo matches.

Two years and two days later, the return of the sport on Tuesday at Sakamoto Pool was symbolic in so many ways.

Baldwin High School beat King Kekaulike 18-7 in the only official match played on opening day. Another scheduled match between Lahainaluna and Seabury Hall was postponed due to the Spartans not having enough players.

"Oh, it's awesome, I've been dreaming of it since freshman year once it closed down because of COVID," Baldwin junior Mikela De Aguiar said after scoring a match-high nine goals. "I've just been so stoked to finally be back."

The Bears-Na Alii match -- a meeting of the MIL's top two teams from the last completed season in 2019 -- was a learning experience for most of the players, coaches and officials in attendance.

"You are constantly learning new things, and everyone on the team was, like, they help benefit the team in some way," De Aguiar said.

While a high school water polo match usually takes about an hour to complete, Tuesday's contest sailed past the 90-minute mark. Referees were reminding players not to dive into the pool and helping the officials at the scoring and timing table through the intricacies of the game.

"Yeah, it's been super helpful, the refs have been very helpful with the new rules, it's been great," De Aguiar said.

The junior said the team goal for the Bears is the same as it is every year -- do well at the state level.

"Of course, that's the dream, win states," she said.

Keanna Campbell is a Baldwin senior who has played the game since she was 9 years old. She hopes to play in college and after scoring six goals on Tuesday and assisting on several of De Aguilar's goals, it appears Campbell is well on her way to a college career.

"I'm so excited to be back," Campbell said. "I forgot how it felt, but today I remembered the adrenaline I get from it and how much it excites me and my teammates."

Campbell is trying to help lead the inexperienced Bears.

"A lot of our players, they just started out," Campbell said. "So, I think looking at this game, we can get even better. So, I'm really excited to see what everyone can do after learning more, experiencing more after playing the game. I think we can do really well together.

"A lot of the girls are just starting out and they did great today. I think after we teach them more and they get more experience we're going to do really well."

The Bears also got single goals from Lexie Castillo, Ava Castillo and Olivia Fukushima.

Baldwin head coach Lauren Shinozuka is coaching the sport for the first time -- she has help from assistant Arielle Obrero and volunteer assistants Rebecca Buenrostro-Gallimore, a former MIL Player of the Year for the Bears and player at the University of Hawaii, and Olivia Takakura.

Shinozuka and Obrero have switched head and assistant roles from their coaching duties with the Baldwin swim teams. The Baldwin coaches were among those who were learning as they went on Tuesday.

"This is my first year of coaching water polo -- I had one year as an assistant coach with the swim team with Arielle Obrero," Shinozuka said. "So, with water polo we switched caps here. ... Very lucky to have her, have this partnership. We have two awesome volunteer assistants, who are both alumni of the program ... so I really couldn't ask for better support right now as a brand-new coach."

Shinozuka is happy to help out a sport she played for four years at Baldwin. She is an English teacher at the school.

"It's fun, I'm a teacher first, I teach at Baldwin, so getting a chance to try to use those teaching skills with a team that hasn't had a ton of experience playing has been an interesting challenge," Shinozuka said. "We have an incredibly positive, cohesive, excited group of girls who work really hard and I really couldn't ask for a better group to coach."

Low participation appears to be a challenge for teams across the league this season.

The Bears had just nine players dressed on Tuesday, giving them just two substitutes, while King Kekaulike had just three subs. And while Lahainaluna was at the pool on opening day with several players, the Lunas could only scrimmage with the Spartans, who have had to postpone both of their matches this week.

Kamehameha Maui has just enough players to field a team, and Maui High has bowed out of the league after just five players turned out -- seven play at once -- leaving just five teams in the MIL this year.

Lily Barrett led Na Alii with three goals, Li'a Vanderpoel had two, and Collette Chapman and Maggie McGurn each had one against the Bears.

"Most of these girls have never seen a water polo game, have never held a water polo ball, so that puts a lot of strain on our seniors," King Kekaulike coach Peter Vanderpoel said. "So, we're all learning together."

Li'a Vanderpoel, the coach's daughter, has the most experience among Na Alii's three seniors, a group that also includes Chapman and Leila Sumibcay.

"There are only certain things that you can teach in practice -- we don't have enough to field an offense and defense and I don't think any team in the league does either, so this is really our first chance to line up against people and really see how the game of water polo is played," Peter Vanderpoel said.

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

Baldwin 4 6 5 3--18

King Kekaulike 1 3 2 1-- 7

Goal scorers--Bal: Mikela De Aguiar 9, Keanna Campbell 6, Lexie Castillo, Ava Castillo, Olivia Fukushima. KK: Lily Barrett 3, Lia Vanderpoel 2, Collette Chapman, Maggie McGurn.

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