Newport Women Playing in International Women's Water Polo Tournament

By City News Service

A six-team international women's water polo tournament will begin today at Foothill High School in North Tustin with three games, including the U.S. playing the Netherlands.

Three games in the Holiday Cup will be played daily through Sunday.

There are seven Orange County players on the U.S. team -- center Annika Dries of Laguna Beach. defenders Danielle Warde of Newport Beach and Alys Williams of Huntington Beach and attackers Rachel Fattal of Seal Beach, Makenzie Fischer of Laguna Beach, Kaleigh Gilchrist of Newport Beach and Jillian Kraus of Santa Ana.

Dries is among five members of the gold medal-winning team from the London Olympics on the 16-player U.S. team.

The U.S. is first in the rankings compiled by FINA, the worldwide governing body for aquatics, and the Netherlands 10th.

The U.S. and the Netherlands have split two games this year. The Netherlands won, 14-13, July 13 in the Dutch Trophy tournament in the Netherlands. The U.S. won 12-11 in the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, July 31.

Spectators are encouraged to bring non-perishable canned items to donate. For each canned item donated, the ticket price will be reduced by $1 up to a maximum of $3 off per person per day. All canned items collected will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

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