Bear Polo Looks For Revenge, Aiming for Another Championship

Coming off last year’s 12-6 season, Big Red water polo will look to continue their winning traditions. Led by an experienced squad of seniors including captains Brooks Saltonstall and goalie Conrad Diao, the team will surely find success in the months ahead.Since Tuesday, the team has been preparing for their upcoming games. With the first game of the season set for September 13th, the boys have little more than a week to shape up for the year. Bear Polo is confident that they will be prepared.When asked what the team’s biggest strengths will be for the upcoming season, Saltonstall said, "Our legs. We are going to train harder than any other team in our league and become the better athletes." In a sport where legs mean everything—as it allows for higher leaps out of the water to block and shoot shots—the training that Big Red water polo is doing will surely propel the team to a higher level of play. Exeter water polo is not letting this preseason go to waste.The team also has several new additions. Although the team will miss the lost presence of their seniors—particularly J.B. Baker and Nick Dupont, the team seems to have picked up some new players that will help the team continue to win games, including two new preps Jamie Cassidy and Jackson Parrell. "Usually we don't have too many new players with water polo experience, but a there are a few that have multiple years of water polo experience under their belts. Preps Jamie Cassidy and Jackson Parell both have played on teams for more than two years before coming to Exeter," senior Erick Friis said.Morgan Burrell added, "While we have lost several key seniors from last year's squad, I'm confident that Bear Polo will thrive under the leadership of Brooks and Conrad. Additionally, we have depth and many capable players in every class."Only time will tell what the season has in store for water polo, but the boys appear to be moving in the right direction and are serious about winning. "As a team we play well together and are willing to work hard now for results later," Burrell said. With their tolerance for hard work and thirst for winning, Exeter’s boys’ water polo will have no trouble competing this season. After a tough loss in the championship last year to Andover, the team will look to redeem themselves in their first game against the rivals on September 17th.