LOS ALAMITOS The reigning world champion U.S. women’s water polo team suffered a rare loss Tuesday night but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Make no mistake, Australia’s 8-7 victory at the Joint Forces Training Base frustrated Team USA, though it could help the squad as continues toward its Olympic qualification tournament in March.
“It always a good reminder,” U.S. attacker Rachel Fattal (Los Alamitos) said of the loss. “I don’t think we’re ever too confident. I think we’re always approaching each game (one) at a time.
“It’s good because it exposes what we need to work on and what our weaknesses are.”
U.S. coach Adam Krikorian agreed with Fattal, sounding the alarm by calling Australia the most talented team in the world.
“Certainly a loss helps us,” he said. “We haven’t had too many of those, so it’s good for us. We have to know that we’re not invincible. We can be beaten.”
Team USA scored the first three goals and led, 3-1, at halftime but Australia raised its level of physical play in the second and rallied by attacking at center.
With USA’s top defender, Melissa Seidemann out with a hand injury, Australia tied the score, 4-4, on a penalty shot drawn at center with 5:01 left in the third and netted the go-ahead goal on a strike at 2 meters by Bronwen Knox with 3:39 left in the third.
Makenzie Fischer (Laguna Beach) guarded center on both plays but Australia also produced a fourth-period strike at center against Ashley Grossman.
Fischer responded with a rebound goal in the fourth to cut Australia’s lead to 7-5 and Maddie Musselman (Corona del Mar) scored on the power-play with 25 seconds left to trim Australia’s lead to 8-7.
Fattal and Maggie Steffens each scored twice for Team USA. The Americans went 3 for 8 on the power-play while Australia finished 2 for 6.
The teams conclude their series Friday at Dos Pueblos High in Goleta at 2 p.m.
