Showing their Mettle

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Palisades High’s girls water polo squad is on a mission this season. So every pass, every goal, every game brings it closer to the ultimate goal—winning its first City Section championship.

Along the way, the Dolphins are making some waves both in the pool and in the community, as they did last weekend when they hosted their first-ever tournament at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.   

Palisades went 4-0 to win the  Dolphin Invitational and remain undefeated, but the biggest triumph occurred not in the water but on the deck Friday afternoon, where Dolphins players presented backpacks and goodie bags to five Malibu players who lost their homes in the Woolsey Fire.

“We talked about what we could do to help and the outpouring of support from the girls and their families is gratifying to see,” Pali High Coach Kirk Lazaruk said. “We’re four teams but one community and it’s all about empathy for those who suffered.”

Coming off final exams some  of the players felt a bit sluggish in the first game when Palisades fell behind 3-0 to Marymount. The Dolphins rallied for an 8-6 win on three goals each by Sammy Stahl and Leighanne Estabrook.

In their second game Friday the Dolphins were much sharper    in a 15-6 victory over Thousand Oaks. Adelaide Saab led the way with five goals and Julia Sansing and Estabrook each added three.

Games resumed Saturday and Palisades built a 10-3 halftime lead on its way to beating Malibu 17-8. Watched by her older sister Elena (who captained the Dolphins to the City finals last year and is now a freshman at UCLA), Saab scored five goals, Estabrook had four and Maxine Eschger and Alex Levy added two apiece. Thousand Oaks defeated Malibu for third place. Palisades and Marymount met again for the title and this time it was the home team that jumped out to an early lead en route to a 16-7 victory.    

“We’re playing good defense and we ran some plays we hadn’t run before,” Lazaruk said. “The test for us is how well we handle winter break. I’d like this to be an annual thing that high-level teams will want to play in. I’m hoping to expand the field next year.”

Palisades improved to 12-0 and is one win away from equaling its best start in the program’s eight-year history.

“It was [moms] Peggy Saab and Nathalie Brouwer’s idea to get the Malibu girls a few essentials,” co-captain Estabrook said on the eve of her 17th birthday. “We all went on social media and got people to donate—gift cards, towels, blankets, lotion, shampoo, caps goggles, even teddy bears. I can focus on other things besides scoring this year, which is so fun. Seeing someone else score feels better than scoring yourself.”