Stern honored as Rio Hondo League MVP
Rio Hondo League dominance has its perks.
For the La Cañada High girls’ water polo team, the Spartans racked up an impressive amount of awards on the All-Rio Hondo League team, led by junior Carolyne Stern being voted the league’s most valuable player.
The Spartans finished 18-10 and 8-0 in league and won a third straight league title before advancing to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.
“We played a very challenging schedule this season and I thought we did pretty well,” La Cañada coach Ian Davidson said. “The good thing is that the majority of the team is back next season and the experience from this year will help.”
One player who is slated to return for the 2018-19 season is Stern.
“This year my game dramatically changed with my new coaches and they coached me better than what I previously knew,” Stern said. “They just helped me grow in a way I’m not sure I would have without them.”
The goalie finished with 227 saves and 27 assists a season after earning the All-Rio Hondo League Goalie of the Year award. This season’s award marks the third straight year Stern was lauded by the league.
“I’m very honored to get the award and I worked really hard this season and it’s just nice to get to an award that appreciates everything I’ve worked for,” Stern said. “I’m kind of surprised to win because I feel there are a lot of girls on my team who deserve to win it, too, so it’s nice to be recognized.”
The Spartans picked up three selections on the first team in juniors Tess Fundtner, Genevieve Fraipont and Maddy Solares.
Fundtner tallied 26 goals, 31 assists and 10 exclusions drawn.
“Tess had an amazing year for us,” Davidson said. “She’s focuses on the task at hand and she’s a rock at center defender. She directs and dictates our defense and she had a few breakout games and a great campaign.”
Fraipont led the Spartans in goals with 52, while drawing 30 exclusions and adding 21 assists.
“Genevieve is the most selfless person on the entire team,” Davidson said. “She’s definitely our best passer and one of the best on-ball defenders.”
Solares was the Spartans’ leader in exclusions drawn (42), assists (41) and was second in goals (48).
“She plays the best lock-down defense of anyone in the league,” Davidson said of Solares. “She always played against the other team’s best one or two attackers. She learned to be our quarterback.”
La Cañada’s trio of juniors Julia Nicholls (35 goals, 33 exclusions drawn and 29 assists), Rayne Lopez (19 goals, 22 assists and 18 drawn exclusions) and Mimi Zwaneveld (16 goals, 24 drawn exclusions and 22 assists) were selected to the league’s second team.
La Cañada’s Shelby Hovanesian (21 goals, 19 assists and 11 exclusions drawn) was named an honorable mention.
Twitter: @campadresports
