Princeton University Athletics
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/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
CD
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
Women's Water Polo Heads to Southerns on Saturday
April 18, 2008 | Women's Water Polo
The Princeton women's water polo team visits Bucknell this weekend for the 2008 Southern Championships at Kinney Natatorium on Saturday. Princeton is the tournament's second seed and will look to regain the Southern title for the fourth time in five years after falling just short a season ago.
Princeton went 4-2 in conference play to be the tournament's second seed and will take on third-seeded Maryland, which was 3-3 in league play. Tournament host Bucknell went 5-1 and is the top seed and will meet George Washington in the other semifinal with the two winners and two losers meeting in the championship and third-place games.
Princeton split its season series with Maryland, with each team winning in its home pool. The Tigers rallied for a 10-9 win over the Terps on April 5 as sophomore Phoebe Champion delivered the game-winning goal with 36 seconds left in regulation. A week later, Maryland evened up the series with a 12-9 win at home, jumping to an early lead and then holding off a Princeton charge before pulling away late. Princeton also split its season series with Bucknell, while it took both games from George Washington.
This season marks the first time that Princeton has not been the top seed for the Southern Championship since the current format was adopted in 2003. Princeton has won five Southern titles, with championships coming in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Princeton's 2005 championship came when Southern's were last held at Bucknell. Last season the Tigers lost to Maryland in the Southern Championship game 9-8 as the Maryland game winner came with two seconds on the clock.
This weekend's Southern Championships will determine two automatic berths into next weekend's Eastern Championship. The top two teams in the Southern, Northern and Western Championships earn automatic berths into Easterns, while two additional squads will be awarded at-large berths.
Sophomore Lauren Sabb currently leads the Tigers with 42 goals this season and has moved to 11th on the all-time scoring list with 84 tallies. Sophomore Phoebe Champion comes next with 35 goals scored and junior Claire Jacobson and freshman Lauren Brunner each have 26. Freshman Tanya Wilcox has 24.
Sophomore Helen Meigs has set a Princeton single-season record for assists in a season with 46 so far in 2008. She also has taken over the top spot in the record book with 90 for her career. Champion has 39 career steals to rank ninth all-time at Princeton.
Princeton has faired well versus its Southern Division competitors over the years. The Tigers are 18-12 all-time against Maryland with an 8-7 record at neutral sites and a 3-1 record at Southerns. Princeton is 25-3 all-time against Bucknell with a 7-2 record at Bucknell and a 1-0 record at Southerns. Princeton is 28-0 all-time against George Washington with a 15-0 neutral site and a 5-0 Southern record.
Southern Championships Schedule
Saturday, April 19
Game 1: Bucknell (24-7, 5-1 CWPA) vs. George Washington (7-18, 0-6 CWPA), 9 a.m.
Game 2: Princeton (16-10, 4-2 CWPA) vs. Maryland (20-13, 3-3 CWPA), 10:30 a.m.
Consolation Game: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 4:30 p.m.
Championship Game: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 6 p.m.
Princeton went 4-2 in conference play to be the tournament's second seed and will take on third-seeded Maryland, which was 3-3 in league play. Tournament host Bucknell went 5-1 and is the top seed and will meet George Washington in the other semifinal with the two winners and two losers meeting in the championship and third-place games.
Princeton split its season series with Maryland, with each team winning in its home pool. The Tigers rallied for a 10-9 win over the Terps on April 5 as sophomore Phoebe Champion delivered the game-winning goal with 36 seconds left in regulation. A week later, Maryland evened up the series with a 12-9 win at home, jumping to an early lead and then holding off a Princeton charge before pulling away late. Princeton also split its season series with Bucknell, while it took both games from George Washington.
This season marks the first time that Princeton has not been the top seed for the Southern Championship since the current format was adopted in 2003. Princeton has won five Southern titles, with championships coming in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Princeton's 2005 championship came when Southern's were last held at Bucknell. Last season the Tigers lost to Maryland in the Southern Championship game 9-8 as the Maryland game winner came with two seconds on the clock.
This weekend's Southern Championships will determine two automatic berths into next weekend's Eastern Championship. The top two teams in the Southern, Northern and Western Championships earn automatic berths into Easterns, while two additional squads will be awarded at-large berths.
Sophomore Lauren Sabb currently leads the Tigers with 42 goals this season and has moved to 11th on the all-time scoring list with 84 tallies. Sophomore Phoebe Champion comes next with 35 goals scored and junior Claire Jacobson and freshman Lauren Brunner each have 26. Freshman Tanya Wilcox has 24.
Sophomore Helen Meigs has set a Princeton single-season record for assists in a season with 46 so far in 2008. She also has taken over the top spot in the record book with 90 for her career. Champion has 39 career steals to rank ninth all-time at Princeton.
Princeton has faired well versus its Southern Division competitors over the years. The Tigers are 18-12 all-time against Maryland with an 8-7 record at neutral sites and a 3-1 record at Southerns. Princeton is 25-3 all-time against Bucknell with a 7-2 record at Bucknell and a 1-0 record at Southerns. Princeton is 28-0 all-time against George Washington with a 15-0 neutral site and a 5-0 Southern record.
Southern Championships Schedule
Saturday, April 19
Game 1: Bucknell (24-7, 5-1 CWPA) vs. George Washington (7-18, 0-6 CWPA), 9 a.m.
Game 2: Princeton (16-10, 4-2 CWPA) vs. Maryland (20-13, 3-3 CWPA), 10:30 a.m.
Consolation Game: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 4:30 p.m.
Championship Game: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 04
Wednesday, October 19
Wednesday, June 22
Monday, June 06