Rogers water polo head coach Debbie Turver couldn’t resist the urge to give her team a pep talk.
Even though her squad was possessing a 5-3 halftime lead against Auburn Mountainview, Turver knew her team was on the verge of unleashing an offensive surge in the third period of play. The Rams outscored Auburn Mountainview 7-3 in the third period, cruising to a 17-9 victory on March 27 at the Rogers High School Pool.
Courtney Neville, who scored six goals in the contest, said Turver gave them a memorable speech at halftime that translated into a measurable amount of success in the second half.
“Coach gave us an inspirational talk before we came out in the third quarter. She told us we were better than how we were playing,” Neville said. “We showed how we can play in the third. We did a lot of subbing and kept fresh bodies out there. That made a big difference.”
Fellow offensive stalwart Kimmy Erlenmeyer tallied a game-high seven goals for the Rams. All seven of those goals came in the second half.
“It feels good to be 4-1. Hopefully this is just the start of things to come,” Erlenmyer said. “We just got to keep it going. We’re working hard and hopefully it will pay off with a chance to be at state.”
Alexis Pederson scored two goals and Elisha Dixon, Emily Deveraux and Sarah King chipped in one goal apiece.
Turver said her teams’ intestinal fortitude made the difference in the second half.
“Our conditioning was stronger than theirs,” Turver said. “We were able to maintain our level of play and stay with it. They couldn’t keep up with us.”
The Rams are moving in the right direction heading into spring break, Turver said.
“It feels good. The first half of the season already is almost over and we’ve seen most of the teams in our league and have gotten some wins under our belt,” she said. “We’re looking to continue this success into the rest of the year. We win as a team and lose as a team. So far we’re doing pretty well.”
Turver was impressed with Erlenmeyer’s individual performance.
“She’s typically in the right place to score goals. She plays a key offensive position for the team,” Turver said. “She gets some fast break opportunities and has been with the program for the past four years. She knows what she’s doing and is a leader.”
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