Girls’ Water Polo Preview: La Cañada turns over coaching duties from wife to husband
Ian Davidson understands what’s at stake after taking over as coach of the La Cañada High girls’ water polo team.
His wife, Nicki, guided the Spartans to a successful season, culminating in the squad winning the Rio Hondo League championship outright for the first time since 2009 and reaching the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.
Now Ian will look to further raise the bar set by Nicki, who was tabbed the All-Area Girls’ Water Polo Coach of the Year last season and is an assistant for the UC San Diego women’s water polo program.
Nicki didn’t leave the cupboard bare for Ian, who inherits a squad that will bring back practically its entire core.
“It’s very exciting to take over the program and the expectations will be that much higher,” Davidson said. “I understand the tradition and history of the team and we know we have to win league and make a run in the playoffs.
“There’s some work to do, but we are on the right track. We’re going to play a very tough schedule, so that we are ready for league and beyond.”
The Spartans, who will be in Divisions I-II after CIF realignment, will return a cast of standout players looking to take on all challenges.
La Cañada will turn to standout junior goalkeeper Carolyne Stern, who picked up All-Area and All-CIF honors and was named the league’s most valuable goalkeeper.
Stern will be joined by senior attacker Gabriela Lichucki, junior utility Genevieve Fraipont, junior hole/set Mimi Zwaneveld, junior attackers Madison Solares and Julia Nicholls and sophomore hole/guard Tess Fundter.
Fraipont, Zwaneveld, Solares and Fundter all were bestowed with All-Area recognition last season.
“We’ll have a lot of depth and experience and we just want to continue to develop,” Davidson said.
After enjoying a historic run, which included winning the program’s first postseason match, Flintridge Sacred Heart will begin a new era. Carlos Ponce stepped down and turned the program over to assistant Savannah Simmons, a former Burroughs standout.
The Tologs defeated San Dimas in a Division V wild-card match before falling to Santa Ana Valley in the first round. Flintridge Sacred Heart will remain in Division V.
“We have about four or five players returning who have at least one year of experience,” Simmons said. “We saw what we were capable of doing last year and there’s a good deal of potential back.
“I learned a lot from Carlos the last few years, like how to be patient and taking time to break things down.”
The Tologs will turn to senior utility Zoe Drabenko, a reigning All-Area honoree who collected a team-leading 84 goals last season, junior utility Amanda Ramirez, sophomore utility Bree Layseca and freshman goalkeeper Ellie Lund.
Flintridge Prep didn’t qualify for the Division VI playoffs after finishing sixth in the Prep League last season. The Rebels have since been shifted to Division VII.
“I think we’ll see some improvement,” said Prep coach Andrew Phillips, who led the boys’ team to a league title and playoff appearance in the fall. “We’ll look for their awareness to be good. If we can increase that, then we’ll do a lot better.”
The Rebels will be led by senior driver Maxine Mangubat, junior utility Danielle Maxwell, sophomore driver Paige Nixon and freshman utility Natalie Kaplanyan.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
