The Long Beach City College women's water polo team continued a long legacy of triumph during its 2016 season following the conclusion of their regular season and hauling in their second-consecutive South Coast Conference (SCC) crown by routing the Mt. San Antonio Mounties in the final game of the SCC Tournament Championships.
The Vikings were unstoppable in conference play by boasting a flawless 10-0 record. They scored in the double digits in every conference game but one to prove the strength of the program.
Leading the charge was freshman attacker Victoria Johnson (Long Beach, CA) who tallied a total of 110 goals on the season, ranking third in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). Johnson scored a goal in every game she participated in and score five or more goals in nine games. Twice on the season she scored eight times happening in consecutive games against East Los Angeles and Fullerton. Furthermore, she has pocketed 51 steals and dished out 33 assists. Johnson is, without a doubt, a most valuable player candidate.
Freshman attacker Samantha Wooley (Schaumburg, IL) finished second on the squad in goals with 54, while sophomore center Burdette Forsch (Yorba Linda, CA) is nipping at Wooley's heels with 52 netters. Wooley was a sparkplug that fired up the offense on numerous occasions to prove her reliability in the pool. Forsch came on strong in the latter part of the season by scoring three or more goals per contest in five of the last seven games.
Sophomore attacker Natalie Nilan (Downey, CA) was the main facilitator that operated the well-oiled offense by leading the team in assists with 34. Additionally, she chipped in 32 goals to display her versatility.
Freshman goalkeeper Maggie Bennet (Long Beach, CA) was a staple between the pipes for the Vikings by ending with 158 saves and 18 wins which ranks tied for sixth in the CCCAA. In 108 quarters between the posts, she earned a saves percentage of 41.
Despite not hauling in a CCCAA State Championship, the Vikings look forward to consistently making a push for the goal of being top in the state.