The race for the top spot in the Spanish water polo league is heating up, and the battle between Sabadell and Mataro shows no signs of slowing down. Both teams continued their winning ways against tough opponents in Matchday 16, leaving them separated only by goal difference in the standings.
Meanwhile, although Mediterrani suffered a disappointing exit from the Champions League, they remain a top-four contender in the Division de Honor, securing an expected away victory against Barca. In the Spanish capital, Tenerife pulled off a huge win, while Catalunya just barely edged out Sant Feliu.
And in a momentous occasion for one of the two teams in the league based outside of Catalonia the league’s bottom-ranked team, Zaragoza, finally secured their first win of the season, triumphing over Rubi with a decisive 15-10 victory.
2022/23 Women’s Spanish League, Day 16
Zodiac CNAB 7 – 12 CE Mediterrani (2-3, 2-3, 1-2, 2-4)
Barceloneta: I. Turegano, P. Rodriguez, N. Martin 2, C. Buscarons, N. Josifovic, J. Cereijo 1, U. De Sol Agusti, N. Mandic 1, I. Piralkova, R. Tarrago, R. Tarrago 3, S. Garcia, M. Madre, B. Colominas
Mediterrani: O. Gonzalez, A. Munoz, E. Berecibar, A. Marcos 1, L. Marsinach, P. Prats 2, C. Espar, D. Moreno 1, M. Viladot, H. Dalmases 2, P. Crespi 5, S. Lizotte 1, G. Palm
CN Mataro 13 – 7 CN Terrassa (2-3, 5-3, 4-1, 2-0)
Mataro: E. Sanchez, S. Morell 1, S. Van de Kraats 4, A. Gual 1, V. Sevenich, R. Keszthelyi-Nagy 3, C. Cambray 1, C. Nogue, S. Avegno 1, Q. Bertran, R. Gurri, M. Claveria Murillo 1, E. Herrera
Terrassa: S. Domene, M. Martinez, M. Martinez, N. Cuenda Morillo, C. Cantero 1, D. Quinzada, N. Ten Broek, P. Pena 2, D. Menakerman, P. Camus 3, A. Finestra, F. Bosveld 1, E. Monllor
Astralpool Sabadell 12 – 7 CN Sant Andreu (3-1, 2-3, 4-2, 3-1)
Sabadell: L. Ester, M. Ortiz, P. Leiton 3, S. Van der Sloot 1, I. Casado, M. Steffens 1, E. Ruiz 3, M. Garcia 1, J. Forca, B. Ortiz 3, N. Perez, I. Gonzalez, M. Carrasco
Andreu: A. Lorca, A. Campos, N. Perez, G. La Farre Colominas 1, H. Shabb 2, M. Cordobes, E. Lemay-Lavoie, I. Martinez, T. Prentice, M. Palacio 1, A. Ruiz 3, M. Terre
CD Boadilla 6 -14 Tenerife Echeyde (1-2, 1-2, 1-5, 3-5)
Boadilla: C. Mangual, A. Wu, L. Roca 3, J. Mora 1, L. Camps, M. Peragon, E. Castellanos, M. De Quinta 1, E. Prieto, R. Bertran, A. Gonzalez, G. Gallinato 1, P. Moreno
Tenerife: J. Gaudreault, M. Sagrera, C. Rios 1, B. McDowell 3, E. Dominguez 1, J. Rodriguez, J. Luis, M. Ramos 2, E. Alcon, E. Nicholson 5, A. Sanchez 2, F. Perez Paez
CN Sant Feliu 15 – 16 CN Catalunya (2-3, 5-4, 5-5, 3-4)
Sant Feliu: N. Trojan, J. Soler, M. Bargallo 5, A. Temprano 2, B. Goset 3, L. Herrera, M. Gomez, M. Manchego 3, N. Bartolome, J. Panicello 2, L. Hidalgo, J. Figueroa, P. Carilla
Catalunya: M. Terre, C. Ball 1, C. Diaz 5, O. Tarrino, G. Bellido, B. Pascual 2, R. Schuijt 2, J. Navarro, C. Leonard 1, S. Diaz 1, M. Van Rijn 4, G. Ribo, H. Perez
ESC Zaragoza 15 – 10 CN Rubi (1-3, 2-3, 5-2, 7-2)
Zaragoza: I. Bello, A. Escolano, M. Ciudad Herrera 3, I. Betran, N. Coloma, N. Manero 1, A. Sarinena, R. Corao, S. Perez 1, L. Gomez 1, J. Tazueco 7, S. Rosales
Rubi: E. Jimenez, A. Roldan 1, C. Oenalver, C. Abellan, M. Ungria 3, A. Rodriguez, L. Rion, C. Moreno 1, R. Prieto, J. Prados 1, E. Vesperinas, A. Trivino 4, M. Sampaio
Sabadell and Mataro both had potentially tricky games this weekend against top-five opponents, but both put in assured performances and came out on top.
The reigning champions bagged a decent 12-7 win over third placed Sant Andreu thanks to hat-tricks from Paula Leiton, Elena Ruiz and Bea Ortiz. Both sides were on an equal footing at the end of the first half, but three back-to-back scores in the third period (Ruiz, Van der Sloot and Leiton) provided a hefty four-goal cushion. While Andreu rallied, they never came within three scores.
Mataro won in similar circumstances, finding themselves only ahead by one goal at half-time. Like Sabadell, though, Mataro pushed ahead and found the goals they needed to take the sting out of their opponents. It will come as no surprise that Simone Van de Kraats was the best scorer of the game, with four goals in the first half, and with two more penalties today, she has now converted a staggering 17 this campaign. The league’s top goal-scorer is still Rita Keszthelyi, though – her hat-trick today takes her tally to 60 goals in 15 games.
Catalunya were pushed hard by Sant Feliu, but ran out 16-15 winners to take their eighth win of the season. Excellent contributions from Clara Diaz (5), and Maartje Van Rijn (4) spearheaded Gabor Egedi’s team to maximum points in an action packed match. Feliu led at several junctures in the game, including the last quarter. But four straight scores in the last quarter was enough to secure the points.
Elsewhere in the matchday, five goals from Paula Crespi led Mediterrani to a 12-7 win at Barceloneta, while an awe-inspiring Seven goals from Julia Tazueco gave Zaragoza their first win of the season at home against Rubi (15-10). Tenerife inflicted a heavy defeat on Boadilla in Madrid (14-6), with Kiwi centre-forward Emily Nicholson netting five scores.
Next Matchday (11th March)
Tenerife Echeyde vs Astralpool Sabadell
CN Catalunya vs Zodiac CNAB
CD Boadilla vs CE Mediterrani
ESC Zaragoza vs CN Sant Feliu
CN Sant Andreu vs CN Mataro
CN Rubi vs CN Terrassa
Standings
- Astralpool Sabadell – 15 – 14 wins
- CN Mataro – 15 – 14
- CN Sant Andreu – 16 – 13
- CE Mediterrani – 16 – 13
- CN Terrassa – 15 – 10
- Tenerife Echeyde – 16 – 9
- CN Catalunya – 16 – 8
- Zodiac CNAB – 16 – 4
- CN Sant Feliu – 16 – 3
- CN Rubi – 15 – 3
- CD Boadilla – 16 – 2
- ESC Zaragoza – 16 – 1
Read more about the Women’s Water Polo in Spain
