Maple Ridge water polo players Nicholas Bruneau and Giordano Marconato of the Pacific Storm are celebrating back-to-back gold medals at the U-16 boys’ national club championships.
Marconato also earned a spot on the U-16 all-star team with a 20-goal performance during the event.
Bruneau held his own, playing a key role in his team’s journey to gold, scoring three goals, one on a five-metre penalty shot, and with strong defensive play.
The Storm blew into the final after destroying its first two opponents by a combined score of 47-4. The team thoroughly outclassed Saanich 21-1 before thrashing Dollard III of Quebec 26-3. The Storm continued its strong play in the quarterfinal round with a 22-1 beating of St. Lambert, also from Quebec. The Storm then toppled Ottawa 12-6 to advance to the final.
The Storm continued to roll through the French, defeating Camo in a hard-fought match 7-3 to win the tournament.
Tied a 1-1 after the first quarter, the Storm slowly chipped away at Camo’s defence to take the title.
The Storm’s Nikola Maric was named most valuable coach for the second year in a row.