2019-20 Stories of the Year -- Water Polo Home Opener

Over the past three years, OUAZ saw a lot of firsts as both a school and an athletic department. While the Spirit are starting to make its mark in Surprise and the state of Arizona, there were still plenty of firsts to celebrate during 2019-2020. One of those firsts was not initially in the cards at the start of the school year, but ends up being a top story of the 2019-2020 season.

On October 4, 2019, the OUAZ men’s Water Polo team played its first home game in program history, a 14-9 victory over the University of Arizona. It was a welcomed surprise for the Spirit community, as it gave a chance for the brand new program to showcase its skills in front of OUAZ fans.

What was an extra tune-up game for the Wildcats quickly turned sideways for the visitors, as the Spirit jumped out to a 4-0 lead in after the first quarter. Even though Arizona found a way to pull even halfway through the third quarter, the Spirit outscored the Wildcats 8-1 in the first and third frames. 

James Martin put together an incredible afternoon, scoring eight goals on 11 shots, with five of those goals coming in the final ten minutes. While Martin stole the show offensively, Shaine Sargis, Tristin D’Ambrosi, Dylan Van Horn and Nathan Swank all scored as well.

It is a great moment for a brand new program who found its way into the win column a little more than was expected in Year 1. It was a schedule that featured tough NCAA Division I competition, but the Spirit found a way to hang around in games and get better each time they got in the pool. 

OUAZ will enter next season on a win streak, as the Spirit won its final game of the season, 12-8 against Penn State-Behrend. Be on the lookout for next season’s schedule to see when you can catch the OUAZ men’s water polo squad, whether it be on the road, or at the Goodyear YMCA.