Jewel Roemer nailed the high right corner twice, helping Team USA overwhelm Japan, 10-6, and remain undefeated at the FINA Women’s Water Polo Intercontinental Cup on Thursday at UC Davis.
Roemer is a freshman at Dos Pueblos High.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Melissa Seidemann led all scorers with three goals, the first of which came off an assist from Ryann Neushul (Dos Pueblos High)
Japan’s frenetic drive offense generated numerous first-half shot opportunities, but Team USA goalie Thea Walsh stepped up with 11 saves to quench their fire. Walsh, a junior, led undefeated Laguna Beach High over San Marcos in the 2017 CIF-SS Division I Championship.
Paige Hauschild of San Marcos played the entire match, using her speed and defensive skill to cut off numerous Japanese counterattacks while drawing a kick out and stealing the ball.
Team USA next faces a 1-2 Canadian squad that beat China 12-9 for their first victory of the tournament. Canada features several veteran players who will test the young American squad both with outside shooting and physical play at center forward.
The top four teams at the FINA Intercontinental will secure a spot in the FINA World League Super Final held in Shanghai, China in June. USA and Australia are the only remaining undefeated teams with records of 3-0. They will meet for the first time on Saturday.