Baku Game 1 - Dani scores twice vs Greece

Danica Brazier scored twice as Great Britain kicked off their European Games campaign with tough defeat against pre-tournament favourites Greece. The Greeks have become the dominant force of European junior women’s water polo in recent years, picking up the 2013 European Junior title and last year’s European U19 title.

And while Chelmsford / Otters’s Brazier scored in both the third and fourth quarter for the Brits, they were always playing catch-up against a talented Greek side who ultimately secured a 20-2 (4-0, 6-0, 2-1, 8-1) win.

“It was tough, but I was proud with how they kept going,” – GB head coach Nick Buller. There were positives to take for the Brits, not least in Brazier’s two goals, the first from the edge of the arc on man-up to take the lead in the third quarter, and the second as she created space before turning and powering home from the pit in the last quarter.

Playing two quarters each, British goalkeepers Hayley Price (Tyldesley) and Sophie Jackson (Leeds) impressed between the sticks to thwart a number of Greek chances as they attacked quickly and directly on the counter.

“This was what we expected from previous tournaments. It was tough, but I was proud with how they kept going,” said British head coach Nick Buller.  The Brits also conceded the fewest goals of any of the losing teams in Group A on the opening day with the Dutch hammering Israel 29-1 and Germany losing out 21-4 to Hungary. Team GB will hope to secure their first points of the competition against Germany on day two in Baku.

Credit: http://www.swimming.org/waterpolo/brazier-double-brits-face-top-seeds-greece-baku/

Otters win gold at Middlesex Masters Championships

Otters Rebecca (Gari) Mulcahy, Tracey Allen,Emma Shkurka, Lex Higlett & Peggy Etiebet, transferred their water polo talents to the racing pool with great success on Sunday 7th June at the Middlsex Masters Championships. 

Peggy picked up a fantastic gold in the 50 breastroke, Emma won the 50 fly, and Lex won the 50 free & 200 free. Both Gari and Tracey picked up a number of medals in their very competitive age groups & all featured heavily in winning 4x25m relay teams. 

The girls swims helped Otter retain its position as top club in the Middlesex county, winning by a healthy margin over Cally Masters Islington and fourteen other clubs. Thanks & congratulations Gari, Tracey, Em, Lex & Peg. 

Otters & GB U/17s touch down in Azerbaijan

Great Britain’s under-17 water polo girls touched down in Azerbaijan today ahead of the inaugural Baku 2015 European Games. Head coach Nick Buller and his squad now have three full days of preparation before their opening Group A clash against reigning champions Greece on Friday.

The water polo tournament is scheduled for 12-21 June. As well as Greece, Great Britain have been drawn alongside Netherlands, Hungary, Germany and Israel, while Group B consists of France, Italy, Serbia, Slovakia, Russia and Spain. The top three teams from each group will progress to the knockout medal stages and the remaining sides will play crossover classification games.

“With no funding, we’ve faced a lot of challenges to be here, but this team has great spirit and the girls deserve their place at the top table of international water polo,” added Buller. “Some of my team are also in the middle of their exams, so we’ve had to schedule training around revision and a few players are even having to sit exams out here at the British Embassy.

“Teams like Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia and Greece all have well-funded professional set-ups and they are in a league of their own. Our approach is very much to be the best of the rest, but a finish anywhere in the top 10 would be a great achievement.”

GB's first game is vs Greece on Friday 12th June @9:45am. Good Luck girls. 

Credit – www.swimming.org/waterpolo

Otter wins top men’s and overall trophies at Middlesex County Championships

A big effort by our swimmers in Barnet on Sunday June 7th saw Otter retain its position as top club in the Middlesex county, winning by a healthy margin over Cally Masters Islington and fourteen other clubs. Congratulations to everyone who took part and contributed to this victory. 

The Middlesex Championships is always a good opportunity for swimmers to make their first competitive appearance for Otter, and this year Wade Rimbach (30-34 year age group), Dontony Gill-Nasadi (18-24), Josh Sambrook-Smith (30-34), Paul Fakley (45-49), Sharon Wright (55-59) andDaiga Taurite (30-34) all made their Otter debuts. In fact some of the best swims of the day came from our debutantes, including Wade narrowly touching out Josh to take the 50m backstroke title in exciting fashion, Josh taking gold in the 50 breastroke, Paul Fakley seemingly winning every race he swam, and Dontony, Daiga and Sharon all beating their entry times and picking up a number of medals along the way. 

Special mention also goes to Rebecca Mulcahy (18-24), Tracey Allen (25-29),Peggy Etiebet (35-39), and Emma Shkurka (30-34) who transferred their water polo talents to the racing pool for the day with great success. Peggy picked up a fantastic gold in the 50 breastroke, as did Emma in the 50 fly. Both Rebecca and Tracey picked up a number of medals in their very competitive age groups.

Otter 4th at British Champs

Otter started the 2015 British Championships strongly against Super 5 winners City of Liverpool. Goals to Peggy Etiebet, Izzy Dean & Emma Hamilton Foster had Otter in the lead at the end of the first half. The eventual champions mounted a comeback in the 3rd quarter to take the lead & win the game 10-7 to secure their place in the final. Otter scorers:  E Hamilton Foster 3, P Etiebet 2, I Dean, H Patchett. 

The women's third place playoff match was another tightly contested match with Otter & City of Manchester trading goals throughout the last quarter before Machester scored a last gasp goal with 12 seconds to go to secure the bronze medal 9-8. Otter scorers: B Tafazolli 3, H Patchett 2, Dani Brazier 2, P Etiebet 1.

Special mention to Lutra players Mhairi Nurthern, Izzy Dean, Kathy Rogers & Otter NAGs player Dani Brazier who made their (British) debut for the Otter first team at the Championships.  

Congratulations to Liverpool who overcame City of Coventry 6-2 to win the final. 

London Otter defend Girls’ U17 National Age Group title

Otter U17s retained their title at the National Age Group Championships at the Manchester Aquatics Centre. Led by captain Sasha Tinkler Davies, Otter beat Liverpool 13-7 in the semi final before going on to over come tournament favourites Manchester 9-7. 

It was the first time in the competition that Otter had beaten Manchester, having  lost 9-4 & 17-9 in the preliminary qualification rounds. Otter's tops goal scorer Dani Brazier was name MVP of the tournament & will be making her senior debut for Otter at the British Champs. 

Congratulations girls on a brilliant result. We're so proud of you all. 

Otter U19s finish 2nd at the National Age Group Championships

The Otter U19s went one better than last year finishing second in the 2015 National Age Group Championships. Otter beat Crawley 10-8 in the semi final, before loosing a tense battle with Manchester in the final 10-8. Captain Hannah Patchett, who is in the GB U19s squad for the 2015 World Championships in Mexico, was Otter's stop scorer for the weekend.  Congratulations girls on a brilliant result. 

Otter U17 & U19 qualify for the National Age Group Championship Finals

The Otter U/19s have qualified in second place for this year's National Age Group Water Polo Championship Finals after strong preformances in the Girls' U/19 Qualification Group.

Otter drew with Liverpool 7 all. Lost to Manchester 4-11, posted the largest victory of the weekend with a 24-1 win over City of Leeds, and defeated Crawley 11-7.

It will be the same four finalists in the Girls' U/19 Championships as 12 months ago. Last years runners up Manchester progressed in first with Crawley third, and defending champions City of Liverpool fourth.

The Otter U/17s also qualified for the U/17 National Age Group finals. The seeding for the U/17s will come down to goal difference with Otter, City of Liverpool & Exeter all defeating each other to tie on two overall points. 

The finals are being held in Manchester on the 25th & 26th April. Good luck girls.

GB U-17 Girls qualify for Baku 2015 European GamesA

Congrats to London Otters successful GB U17 coach Nick Buller, captain Izzy Dean, Mhairi Nurthen and Kathy Rogers who were celebrating in the south of France on Sunday after qualifying for this summer’s Baku 2015 European Games.

Great Britain was one of six countries that locked up their spots at the Baku 2015 European Games Under-17 women's Water Polo competition.

Hosts France went undefeated on 12 points to top Group A in Nice while Great Britain wound up battling Czech Republic for second place. Great Britain and the Czechs had tied 8-8 in the teams' second match of the tournament, meaning goal difference would decide second place if they finished even on points. That ended up being the case as France beat the Czechs 14-7 to leave Czech Republic with a +10 goal difference. Great Britain meanwhile rolled up a 30-0 victory over Switzerland on the last day to finish with a +52 goal difference - and a spot at Baku 2015. Otters Kathy Rogers, & Izzy Dean were amongst the top goal scorers for the GB side with 11 & 9 goals respectively.

France, Great Britain, Slovakia, Israel, Germany and Serbia will join the already qualified Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Hungary and hosts Azerbaijan at the women's Baku 2015 tournament.

Group A Result: 

Thursday, 12 March 2015: 18:00 Portugal 3-26 Great Britain

Friday, 13 March 2015: 10:15 Czech Republic 8-8 Great Britian & 19:15 France 13-12 Great Britian 

Sunday, 15 March 2015: 09:00 Switzerland 0-30 Great Britian