Sports – Waterpolo

The OUA Waterpolo championships were held at the ARC Pool on November 26th to 28th, 2010. The weekend looked to be incredibly busy for Journal photographers since Queen’s was fielding both men’s and women’s teams and the Athletics Department, as hosts of the tournament, had asked the Journal to provide photography for the bronze and gold games. I had never been to a waterpolo game, let alone covered one. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I quickly learned that waterpolo is a game of contrasts. The game is immensely physical, with hands and limbs frequently colliding and heads being pushed underwater. Most sports matches are quite noisy, with the shouts of athletes and the encouragement of spectators forming a cacophony. Waterpolo is quiet, except for the constant splashing of water and piercing whistle blasts from referees. There is little yelling, little speaking, and very little celebration from the athletes at the end of plays: polar opposite from the women’s volleyball matches I covered the day before.

I covered the Gaels men’s team in their attempt to make the finals and the women’s team in their drive for a bronze medal, as well as the women’s gold medal game between Carleton and the University of Toronto.

Here are my rejects from the OUA Waterpolo Championships.

Waterpolo 3

McMaster’s Bryn Sutherland defends the ball from Queen’s player Judith Weist in the OUA bronze medal game on November 28th, 2010. The angles of the outstretched arms show the high level of physical agility that waterpolo players possess; the text on the ball is a nice touch.

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The Toronto Varsity Blues score a goal against the Queen’s Gaels men’s waterpolo team on November 27th, 2010. The Gaels lost 23-0 to the Varsity Blues, eventually being eliminated from the tournament by the Western Mustangs later in the afternoon.

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Gaels head coach Don Duffey reacts as the women’s team regroups following the end of the third quarter of the OUA bronze medal game. The Gaels were defeated 12-0 by the McMaster Marauders to finish fourth in the tournament. Duffey also led the Gaels men’s team to a fifth place in the men’s division.

Waterpolo 1

Kaitlyn Sennema is congratulated by Carleton head coach Steve Baird as the Ravens celebrate their OUA championship win. Sennema was one of four Ravens named to the all-star team for her performance in the tournament.

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The Carleton Ravens cheer as they celebrate a 9-7 win and an OUA championship victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues in the women’s gold medal match on November 28th, 2010. Coaches and team staff leapt into the pool to join the athletes in celebrating. Their outpouring of emotion was refreshing and very different from the tacit nature of the match.

That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more The Rejects over the break, as I reflect on my photo assignments from the first half of Vol 138. Happy holidays!

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