Park City High School’s girls water polo team was so small that it played with just one player on the bench most of the season. It didn’t matter.
The Miners stormed through their schedule without dropping a single game before capturing the region title. Armed with an excellent offense and senior goalkeeper Eva Stein in the cage, Park City then cruised through the playoffs, which took place on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16, and captured the state title. The boys team, which also won its region championship, nearly made it a sweep for Park City but lost in the finals to Skyline.
“Both teams really are more than just teammates, they’re friends, they’re very supportive of one another,” assistant coach Heather Flynn said. “I think a lot of it is that it’s more like they’re a family and they’re there and want to win for each other and want to win to represent Park City and the community.”
The girls team knocked off Olympus 11-4 in the semifinals after trailing by two goals earlier in the game. Senior Sofia Bernasconi scored five goals in the win, while junior Calla Troxel put home three more. Stein, who Flynn said was committed to the University of Hawaii, made several key saves and made an appearance on the score sheet with a couple of goals.
“She’s just a force in the cage, and so she was kind of our second line of defense, if you will,” Flynn said. “Really just did a great job stepping up for the team.”
The girls advanced to the finals and took home first place with a 14-4 blowout win against Skyline. While Park City’s team was small, its depth showed up in the finals. Eight girls contributed to the scoring in the game, including Bernasconi’s team-leading four goals and junior Savanna Flynn’s three.
The boys team eliminated Kearns in the semifinals with a dramatic 14-12 win to move on to the finals. After trailing 6-3 through one quarter, the Miners scored four goals to tie the game at seven at halftime. A strong final quarter where Park City outscored Kearns 4-1 cemented the win.
However, the Miners fell short in the finals against Skyline. Park City led 6-5 at halftime, but an explosive third quarter led to the Miners trailing 11-10 entering the fourth. Down 15-13, freshman Drew Horton scored a goal with just over a minute to go to bring the Miners within a goal, but Skyline hung on for the 15-14 win.
“A lot of the younger players really stepped up, like Drew Horton, freshman, scoring clutch goals during the game,” Flynn said. “It’s always a battle between the two schools, and that day Skyline played a little better.”
Water polo is currently a club sport in Utah, but there are hopes to make it a full-fledged UHSAA-recognized sport in the future. Park City Water Polo is a year-round program for athletes ages 6 and up and is always looking for more players, especially girls.
“We don’t have a lot of a student population to draw in, so for us to be this successful at this level says a lot for, I think, the coaching, the program, the club program and the dedication of the athletes,” Flynn said. “We need more girls, that’s what we’re working on right now is just trying to get some more girls on the team because just one or two subs is rough.”