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UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
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/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
CD
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
CD
/ Women's Water Polo
Women's Water Polo Kicks Off Season Saturday
February 06, 2009 | Women's Water Polo
The 2009 Princeton women's water polo season kicks off this Saturday as Princeton hosts Mercyhurst and Villanova in non-league action. The Tigers are the defending Southern Champions and placed third last season at Easterns. Princeton jumps into competitive action following two weeks of practice at DeNunzio Pool.
“We have had a wonderful few weeks of training,” says Princeton head coach Luis Nicolao. “We're exciting to get into game action to gauge ourselves for the upcoming season. We have some good tests coming up early that will help make us a better team later in the season.”
Princeton enters the 2009 season following a few seasons of being on the cusp of an Eastern Championship. Princeton fell in the Eastern title games in 2006 and 2007, and last year lost a close semifinal game before placing third. Princeton has also had its share of Southern success in the span, winning the Southern title in four of the last five seasons.
“As a team, we have been really close the last few years,” adds Nicolao. “Hopefully we have learned from those experiences and can reverse the outcomes of close games late in the season.
The Tigers will look to capitalize on that momentum in 2009 as the team looks very similar after losing just one player to graduation and adding a freshman class of six. Princeton's one loss was its starting goalkeeper, Natalie Kim, who owns four of Princeton's top-eight save totals, was a four-time first-team All-South player and was named to an All-Eastern Tournament Team on three occasions, including two first-team honors.
Among field players, the Tigers return seven players that scored 20 or more goals last season, six of which are either sophomores or juniors. That group is comprised of junior Phoebe Champion's 42 goals, and includes 30 from senior Claire Jacobson, 29 from sophomore Lauren Brunner, 26 from sophomore Tanya Wilcox, 23 from junior Helen Meigs, 22 from sophomore Julie Phillips and 21 from sophomore Sarah Hutchison.
“We have been able to develop a good nucleus of players,” says Nicolao. “Our core has now played together for a full season and we should be able to mix our newcomers into the lineup effectively.”
The Tigers have three seniors on the roster in Liz Dilday, Jacobson and Kara Murphy. Jacobson played a full season for the Tigers after injuries kept her out of the water for part of her sophomore campaign. Jacobson ranked third on the team with 30 goals, while adding 11 assists and 26 steals. She also drew 40 ejections and had the greatest ejection margin on the team as she emerged from a more defensive role and became a second-team All-South selection. Dilday and Murphy also saw significant time last season and both were important defensive contributors.
The Tigers junior class is made up of five players, including Champion, a first-team All-South and All-East selection last year. Champion is Princeton's leading returning scorer with 42 goals last season and she also added 26 assists and 35 steals, while drawing a team high 49 ejections. Classmate Helen Meigs put forth equally impressive numbers, scoring 23 goals and contributing a Princeton record 52 assists, breaking her freshman year record of 44. Meigs has 96 assists in two seasons to top the Princeton record books in career assists. Clare Premo and Berenice Jimenez complete the class. Jimenez scored six goals and had 13 steals in 27 games last season, while Premo scored once in 14 appearances. Also joining the class is Carolina Ardila, who returns to the Tiger roster after taking the past two seasons off from school. Ardila has 57 goals in two seasons of action.
Princeton had seven freshmen last season and received significant contributions across the board as four of them contributed more than 20 goals. Brunner led the group with 29 goals, 13 assists and 27 steals to help her to Southern Rookie of the Year honors, in addition to first-team All-Southern distinction. Wilcox added 26 goals and led the team with 39 steals. Phillips netted 22 goals for the Tigers and had the team's highest shooting percentage at .550. Hutchison scored 21 times in 30 games and had 28 steals.
Sierra Schelegle and Cari Levine also logged important minutes with Schelegle adding six goals and Levine three as injuries held her from the lineup early in the year. The final member of the class was goalkeeper Christina Michel, who appeared in 16 games last season and made 104 saves.
Princeton has a class of six freshmen to add to the mix this season. The group has had a lot of success at the high school and club level and will fit right into the lineup. The freshman class is comprised of Cayley Bowles, Megan Charles, Grace du Pont, Katlin Poladian, goalie Kristen Ward and Audrey Zak.
“We are very excited about what your freshman class can contribute this year,” says Nicolao. “They have been working hard and will only add to the strength of our team.”
Princeton will open the season on Saturday when it hosts games against Mercyhurst and Villanova. The games will be the season openers for all three teams. Bucknell, which will also play Mercyhurst and Villanova, opened last weekend.
PRINCETON OPEN SCHEDULE
Sat., Feb. 7
10 a.m. - Princeton vs. Mercyhurst
11:30 a.m. - Bucknell vs. Villanova
5 p.m. - Bucknell vs. Mercyhurst
6:30 p.m. - Princeton vs. Villanova
“We have had a wonderful few weeks of training,” says Princeton head coach Luis Nicolao. “We're exciting to get into game action to gauge ourselves for the upcoming season. We have some good tests coming up early that will help make us a better team later in the season.”
Princeton enters the 2009 season following a few seasons of being on the cusp of an Eastern Championship. Princeton fell in the Eastern title games in 2006 and 2007, and last year lost a close semifinal game before placing third. Princeton has also had its share of Southern success in the span, winning the Southern title in four of the last five seasons.
“As a team, we have been really close the last few years,” adds Nicolao. “Hopefully we have learned from those experiences and can reverse the outcomes of close games late in the season.
The Tigers will look to capitalize on that momentum in 2009 as the team looks very similar after losing just one player to graduation and adding a freshman class of six. Princeton's one loss was its starting goalkeeper, Natalie Kim, who owns four of Princeton's top-eight save totals, was a four-time first-team All-South player and was named to an All-Eastern Tournament Team on three occasions, including two first-team honors.
Among field players, the Tigers return seven players that scored 20 or more goals last season, six of which are either sophomores or juniors. That group is comprised of junior Phoebe Champion's 42 goals, and includes 30 from senior Claire Jacobson, 29 from sophomore Lauren Brunner, 26 from sophomore Tanya Wilcox, 23 from junior Helen Meigs, 22 from sophomore Julie Phillips and 21 from sophomore Sarah Hutchison.
“We have been able to develop a good nucleus of players,” says Nicolao. “Our core has now played together for a full season and we should be able to mix our newcomers into the lineup effectively.”
The Tigers have three seniors on the roster in Liz Dilday, Jacobson and Kara Murphy. Jacobson played a full season for the Tigers after injuries kept her out of the water for part of her sophomore campaign. Jacobson ranked third on the team with 30 goals, while adding 11 assists and 26 steals. She also drew 40 ejections and had the greatest ejection margin on the team as she emerged from a more defensive role and became a second-team All-South selection. Dilday and Murphy also saw significant time last season and both were important defensive contributors.
The Tigers junior class is made up of five players, including Champion, a first-team All-South and All-East selection last year. Champion is Princeton's leading returning scorer with 42 goals last season and she also added 26 assists and 35 steals, while drawing a team high 49 ejections. Classmate Helen Meigs put forth equally impressive numbers, scoring 23 goals and contributing a Princeton record 52 assists, breaking her freshman year record of 44. Meigs has 96 assists in two seasons to top the Princeton record books in career assists. Clare Premo and Berenice Jimenez complete the class. Jimenez scored six goals and had 13 steals in 27 games last season, while Premo scored once in 14 appearances. Also joining the class is Carolina Ardila, who returns to the Tiger roster after taking the past two seasons off from school. Ardila has 57 goals in two seasons of action.
Princeton had seven freshmen last season and received significant contributions across the board as four of them contributed more than 20 goals. Brunner led the group with 29 goals, 13 assists and 27 steals to help her to Southern Rookie of the Year honors, in addition to first-team All-Southern distinction. Wilcox added 26 goals and led the team with 39 steals. Phillips netted 22 goals for the Tigers and had the team's highest shooting percentage at .550. Hutchison scored 21 times in 30 games and had 28 steals.
Sierra Schelegle and Cari Levine also logged important minutes with Schelegle adding six goals and Levine three as injuries held her from the lineup early in the year. The final member of the class was goalkeeper Christina Michel, who appeared in 16 games last season and made 104 saves.
Princeton has a class of six freshmen to add to the mix this season. The group has had a lot of success at the high school and club level and will fit right into the lineup. The freshman class is comprised of Cayley Bowles, Megan Charles, Grace du Pont, Katlin Poladian, goalie Kristen Ward and Audrey Zak.
“We are very excited about what your freshman class can contribute this year,” says Nicolao. “They have been working hard and will only add to the strength of our team.”
Princeton will open the season on Saturday when it hosts games against Mercyhurst and Villanova. The games will be the season openers for all three teams. Bucknell, which will also play Mercyhurst and Villanova, opened last weekend.
PRINCETON OPEN SCHEDULE
Sat., Feb. 7
10 a.m. - Princeton vs. Mercyhurst
11:30 a.m. - Bucknell vs. Villanova
5 p.m. - Bucknell vs. Mercyhurst
6:30 p.m. - Princeton vs. Villanova
Tuesday, June 04
Wednesday, October 19
Wednesday, June 22
Monday, June 06