Princeton University
#16 Indiana
Players Mentioned
Women's Water Polo Falls to Indiana; Places Sixth at Easterns
April 26, 2009 | Women's Water Polo
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Princeton women's water polo team dropped its season finale on Sunday afternoon in a 11-6 loss to Indiana in the fifth-place game at the 2009 Eastern Championship. Princeton finished its season with a 17-13 record.
Indiana, the 16th-ranked team in the country, jumped out to a 7-0 lead and led 8-1 at the half. Trailing 7-0 with 1:55 left in the first half, Princeton broke through with an exclusion score by freshman Audrey Zak to break-up the shutout bid by Indiana goalie Cassie Wyckoff. Indiana regained its seven-goal lead a minute later as Nicole Sands connected on an exclusion chance for an 8-1 score at the break.
Princeton could get no closer than five goals the rest of the way as the Tigers opened the second half with markers by senior Claire Jacobson and sophomore Sarah Hutchison at 6:50 and 5:33 of the third period, respectively, but Indiana built the lead to 9-3 and later 10-4 by the end of the third frame to coast to the five-goal victory.
Zak led Princeton with a pair of goals, while sophomore goalie Christina Michel and freshman Kristen Ward combined for five saves for the Tigers.
Junior Phoebe Champion was named to the Eastern First-Tournament team for the second straight season.
Princeton 0 1 3 2 - 6
Indiana 4 4 2 1 - 11
Indiana Goals: Maggie Hannon (2); Nicole Redder (2); Kara Butler (2); Kelly Palmberg (2); Hanna Eimstad; Jakie Kohli; Nicole Sands
Princeton Goals: Audrey Zak (2); Sarah Hutchison; Elizabeth Dilday; Claire Jacobson; Lauren Brunner
Saves: Indiana - Cassie Wyckoff (7, 24 minutes), Katie Carson (2, 8 minutes) ; Princeton - Christina Michel (4, 16 minutes), Kristen Ward (1, 8 minutes)
Ejections: Indiana - 9 ; Princeton - 6
Sprints: Indiana - Kelsey Campbell (2, 2nd & 3rd) ; Princeton - Phoebe Champion (2, 1st & 4th)