Wanting to build upon the success of the swimmers’ earlier in the day, it was all to play for in the pool as Lancaster had the opportunity to take all 16 points that were up for grabs. The men were up first, kicking off the scoring with an early goal but York quickly responded to level the scoring. At the beginning of the second half, York looked strong racking up a 2-point lead. The high scoring quarter saw the teams drawing 6-6 as the game reached the halfway mark. During the third quarter was where Lancaster’s strength and endurance shone through, with them managing to double their tally to 12 whilst York only managed to score once, thanks to some incredible saves from the Lancaster goalkeeper. All that Lancaster needed to do in the final quarter was see the 7 minutes out and then the 4 points would be theirs; they did this and more with the final tally seeing Lancaster win by 17-10.
After seeing the success of the men’s team, Lancaster women went into the match feeling determined to help Lancaster get all 16 points in the pool. After winning the BUCS Cup the end of last term, the team entered the pool feeling confident about their prospects. York made their mark on the game early on, quickly getting a 2-point lead. The Lancaster women responded well to the pressure, showing their resilience and took the lead thanks to a Grace Rowland hat-trick. The scores fluctuated for the next 2 quarters, with tensions rising and the crowd creating an electric atmosphere. The teams went into the final quarter, deemed the ‘make or break quarter’ by women’s captain Susannah Yielding, drawing 5-5. This quarter was where the Lancaster talent shone through, with the girls controlling the pace of the match and asserting their dominance. Lancaster started the quarter well, scoring several quick-fire goals with the crowd responding to the positive play – chants of ‘we want 9’, ‘we want 10’, ‘we want 11’ echoed around the swimming pool and the Lancaster women meeting these demands. The final score saw Lancaster win 11-7.
It was a successful day in the water for Lancaster Swimming and Water Polo Team, with them taking all 16 points available. At the final whistle cries of ‘red wash’ and ‘we are the champions’ from the Lancaster supporters filled the room. Lancaster are champions of the swimming pool!
