Fraisse looks to become more dominant force

Just because Kim Fraisse netted a school-record 129 goals last season doesn’t mean she’ll automatically eclipse that mark. That’s not her concern and she doesn’t plan to rest on her laurels.

The standout Crescenta Valley High girls’ water polo player will forever be proud of her accomplishment and the season she turned in, which culminated in helping the Falcons win the Pacific League championship and a host of personal postseason accolades.

Having developed a knack for scoring goals, there are still other goals — both team and personal — that Fraisse would like to achieve in helping her become a more well-rounded athlete still capable of taking over a match at any time.

“I’m honored to be where I am in a program that’s got a lot of tradition,” said Fraisse, a senior utility player and the reigning All-Area Player of the Year. “The program as a whole means a lot to me and it’s a big part of my life.

“There are still things I want to do to get even better, like keep practicing my shot accuracy and getting my legs stronger to give me more endurance and have the ability to be able to swim faster. The last thing you want to think about when you are out there is being tired.”

It’s that kind of mentality and effort that’s made Fraisse one of the top players in the area and region. Fraisse, who has scored a combined 205 goals the past two seasons, helped the Falcons win 26 matches last season en route to being named the league’s co-most valuable player and selected once again to the All-CIF Southern Section Division IV first team.

Whether facing man-to-man coverage or exploiting a double-team coverage, the humble Fraisse found a way to get the job done and help Crescenta Valley reach the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season.

It got to the point that nothing surprised Crescenta Valley Coach Pete Loporchio about Fraisse.

“The thing with Kim is that she knows and is always constantly striving to get better,” said Loporchio, whose team finished 8-0 in league last season. “She doesn’t get to the point where she will get complacent.

“She wants to get better. It’s well within her grasp of breaking her scoring mark again if it makes our team better. She will do what she needs to do.”

Fraisse, a four-year varsity player, said she didn’t keep track of her eye-popping goal total last season. That changed in a grand way after Crescenta Valley posted a 12-7 win against Pasadena in the league tournament championship game at Burbank High on Feb. 11.

Fraisse tallied a match-best seven goals to spark Crescenta Valley to a 12-7 victory. After the contest, Loporchio approached Fraisse with the game ball in hand to acknowledge she had eclipsed the school-best mark for goals in a season of 116 set by Lybov Tchougounova during the 2006-07 campaign.

Indeed, Fraisse had joined elite company in a program that’s featured past star players such as Jessie Stiles, Megan Winchell, Kristin McLaughlin and Tchougounova.

“It was a great accomplishment and I’m excited for having done that,” said Fraisse, who also showed she can play stellar defense, evidenced by the team-leading 53 steals she recorded last season. “I scored some goals in single coverage and others in double coverage.

“I just spent extra time working on different things and it definitely played a role in helping me score many of those goals.”

A pedigree of displaying character can also help mold an elite player, something not to be taken lightly and something that’s been recognized by Fraisse’s teammates.

Crescenta Valley senior driver Christine Cho, who collected 57 goals and 30 steals last season, said the Falcons can rely on Fraisse’s dependability.

“She’s always going to be optimistic and will be there for the team,” said Cho, who was named to the All-Area first team and All-CIF second team last season. “She’s not worried about the other team, just about going all out and doing what she needs to make our team better.

“She influences our team to be like her. She’s not cocky, but helpful. She’s looking for ways to help our younger players constantly get better and they look up to her as a role model.”

Loporchio, who begins his fifth season piloting the Falcons, said he can count on Fraisse providing Crescenta Valley with a mental edge this season. The Falcons, who will now compete in Division V, start their season Dec. 2 with a home nonleague match against La Cañada.

“She’s going to bring a presence and she’s going to require a lot of attention,” Loporchio said. “She’ll be one of the best players in our division and she’s got so many qualities like a lot of our past top players have had.”