The Australian men's water polo team withstood pressure from a fast-finishing Canada on Tuesday to claim an 11-10 win in their first game of the FINA World League Intercontinental Cup in China.
Sharks captain Richie Campbell and London Olympian Johnno Cotterill were at the their best, scoring multiple goals to keep Australia in the lead.
Cotterill's accuracy was on song from the beginning, with a penalty shot and counter attack both finding the back of the cage. Third-quarter pressure from Campbell proved to be the game breaker for the Aussies, with his three goals giving the Sharks a handy buffer over the Canadians.
Other key players for the Sharks were fellow London Olympians Billy Miller and Aidan Roach, with Miller nailing two goals from the right wing. Roach twice made the best of extra man opportunities, scoring the match-winning goal in the fourth period to prevent Canada stealing victory.
The scoreline was locked at 3-3 at the end of the first term, before the Sharks edged ahead to lead 6-5 at halftime. The margin extended to 10-7 in the third stanza with Campbell scoring a treble, before a resurgence from Canada in the final quarter.
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The Sharks' next game will be against Kazakhstan at 9pm (AEST) on Thursday.
