THE COLONY:  The Varsity Water Polo team drove up I-35 to compete in the Hebron Hawks Classic on Saturday, hosted at the LISD Eastside Aquatic Center.  Playing in their first tournament this season, there were some learning curves for the Cardinals in their opening matchups, but the squad quickly found its form by the end of the day.  

The Varsity Boys team, playing shorthanded for most of the day, drew an 8:30am matchup against Denton to start things off.  The Cards struggled to find their identity initially, but eventually found their groove and began working the ball into the hands of point man Inaki Romero-Garza, and centers Santi Rodriguez-Bustos and Matt Cava.  The senior trio accounted for a majority of the team's scores on the day and settled into the offense by the second game, a close 1-2 loss to the host team Hebron.  

Similarly, the Varsity Girls were on their heels in the opening frame of their first matchup against Denton.  After halftime and following a quick word from head coach Grant Miller, the squad found success via the cannon-like right arm of center Alyssa Jones.  The junior scored all three points against Denton and nearly led the team to victory in Game 2 against Flowermound, a close 4-5 loss.  Junior Mariska Suwanda played point for most of the tournament, marshaling the troops and barking out orders.  Wings Autumn Thill and Milan Dao produced a handful of quality chances, sparking the Lady Cards offense.  

"It's been tough for us just finding time and space to practice," said Miller.  "We don't have contact during practice so this is the first time for some of the team facing real-live action.  It's hard to simulate the physicality of a match without contact, but we are making adjustments and responding well."  

The squad is young, with just four seniors on the boys team and one senior on the girls team.  Despite this, Miller said it's a chance to grow.  "Several of our kids have never played before, but it's not a problem.  They pick up the game quick and there's no bad habits to break.  They're really having fun learning the game."  

The team goes back to work on Saturday, this time at the Keller ISD Natatorium as they compete in the Southlake Carroll Blue and Green Classic.