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Corona del Mar High School graduate Maddie Musselman wowed the crowd from the get-go Tuesday night.
Team USA’s women’s water polo star gave her team an early power play and earned a driving exclusion in an exhibition match against Australia at Long Beach City College.
Musselman then hit a no-look shot into the right corner to put his team on the scoreboard.
After the match, she said with a smile, “I’ve been working on this for a long time.”
In Tuesday night’s match, Team USA’s Maddie Musselman (2 years old) will defend against Australia’s Charlize Andrews (7 years old).
(James Carbone)
There were a lot of funny moments both individually and as a team. Musselman had four goals and four assists as Team USA defeated Australia 14-8 in the second of a three-game series this week.
Musselman said American coach Adam Krikorian placed her on the 4-5 side (right side) of the pool on Tuesday. Usually she plays on the 1-2 side. That didn’t seem to matter.
“It was fun to see a different perspective,” said Musselman, who converted all four shot attempts. “We talked about our movement and that’s one of my strengths, being able to drive and move. I usually picture myself doing that on the 1-2 side. But, to be honest, I was a little surprised that I was able to do that on the 4-5 side as well.”
Newport Harbor High School graduate Kaylee Gilchrist was another local player in the water, recording one assist and two blocks.
The Olympic team has not yet been officially named, but Musselman, 25, and Gilchrist, 31, are expected to be veteran leaders as Team USA seeks its fourth consecutive Olympic title at this summer’s Paris Olympics. Both Backbay products have already won two Olympic gold medals.
Team USA’s Amanda Longan, 13, blocks a shot against Australia on Tuesday night.
(James Carbone)
Musselman, the MVP of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, recorded an eventful quadruple all the way to Paris. She took a break from sports after hip surgery in 2022 and enrolled in Temple University’s pre-master’s physician assistant program.
She also married Pat Whoopes, who also played water polo at UCLA, last September. It was around the same time that Wepse was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer.
“She’s been through a lot, and I think it’s given her a lot of perspective and made her realize how much she loves water polo and her job,” Gilchrist said. “I think it gave her a new perspective on why she plays. Only she knows how tough her and Pat’s journey is, but she did it all and they did it all.” It’s inspiring as a teammate to watch her do that and then come here and perform like she did.”
Musselman joked that she and her best friend Gilchrist are some kind of injury buddies. Because they had to go to rehab many times, but never at the same time. She calls Gilchrist “my hype woman,” and she said it’s healthy for Gilchrist to vent their frustrations and motivations on each other.
Team USA’s Kayleigh Gilchrist, 10, makes a pass during Tuesday’s game against Australia at Long Beach City College.
(James Carbone)
Tara Prentiss scored four goals for Team USA on Tuesday, two of which were assisted by Musselman. Ryan Neuschul and Jewel Romer each scored two goals, and goaltender Amanda Longan made 13 saves.
Dani Jakovic led Australia with two goals, but Australia lost to the USA 10-4 in the first game of the series in Santa Barbara on Sunday.
Team USA heads to the sweep at noon Saturday at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine. Admission is free.
The Americans then begin a three-game series against China on April 20 at Ocean View High in Huntington Beach.
“Certainly, it’s definitely a countdown,” Musselman said. “I think Adam said before this game that he had 11 games left.” [until the Olympics]. I was like, “Wow, that’s not that much.” These are great opportunities to connect as a group, so take advantage of it and talk primarily about us and our team. Yeah, we’re playing against teams with different playing styles, but in the end it’s up to us. These are learning opportunities, and there will be learning opportunities even if you compete in the Olympics. ”
Team USA coach Adam Krikorian discusses strategy with his team between games Tuesday night.
(James Carbone)
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