Princeton University Athletics
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Women's Water Polo Returns From Layoff to Host Bucknell, Michigan and St. Francis
March 31, 2011 | Women's Water Polo
The Tigers had a successful Spring Break trip to the West Coast. Princeton went 5-4 in nine games with all four losses coming to teams ranked in the Top 10. Princeton also picked up a win over a ranked team as it topped then 18th-ranked UC San Diego to open the weeklong trip. Princeton four losses over the week can by a combined seven goals.
Princeton got contributions from several players during its week in California. Katie Rigler was strong at the start of the trip and was named the Southern Player and Rookie of the Week after scoring 10 goals in Princeton's first four games of the trip. She also added four assists, four steals and drew nine ejections. Saranna Soroka and Molly McBee followed as the Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, following the second five games of the trip. Soroka scored in each of the last five games and added eight drawn ejections, two steals and two assists. McBee had eight goals in four of the second five games of Princeton's trip.
Rigler, McBee and Soroka represent three of Princeton top-five scorers at this point of the season. Rigler has a team-high 35 goals in her rookie campaign and McBee's total of 24 ranks third. Brittany Zwirner ranks second with 27 goals and has a team-best 19 assists. Lauren Brunner ranks fourth with 15 goals and her 119 career goals now ranks ninth all-time at Princeton. Soroka has 14 goals.
The Tigers will look to build off the momentum built in California when it faces longtime Southern rival Bucknell, Top 10 team Michigan and St. Francis this weekend at DeNunzio Pool.
The weekend actually begins for the Tigers on Saturday morning with an exhibition game against the New York Athletic Club. Princeton will then face Bucknell on Saturday night, before hosting Michigan on Sunday morning and St. Francis on Sundfay afternoon.
Princeton meets Bucknell in the 39th meeting between the schools. Princeton leads the all-time series 31-7 and the teams split four meetings last season. Each won their home regular season game, while Bucknell knocked off Princeton in the Southern Championship game and Princeton returned the favor a week later in the first round at Easterns. Bucknell is 9-8 this season. The Bison was in California the same week that the Tigers were and went 4-3 in seven games, defeating Concordia, La Verne, Marist and Cal State San Bernardino during the trip.
The Tigers then take on Michigan in the 21st meeting between the teams. Michigan leads the series 14-6 and has won five straight in the series. Princeton and Michigan have met in the Eastern semifinals in five of the last six Eastern semifinals, with Princeton taking the 2007 meeting and the Wolverines the other four. Michigan is 20-4 overall this season and has won 10 straight games since mid-February. Michigan played a single game last weekend at Indiana and won 9-8.
Princeton concludes the weekend against St. Francis. Princeton took the lone meeting between the schools by a 13-2 score in February of 2008 at the Maryland Invitational. The Terriers are 3-7 overall entering the weekend with wins over Whittier, Chapman and Cal Tech. St. Francis last played on March 11-12 at the Claremont Convergence and dropped three games to Occidental, Claremont McKenna and Redlands.
Complete Weekend Schedule
Saturday
10 a.m. - Bucknell vs Michigan
11:30 a.m. - Princeton vs NYAC
1 p.m. - Michigan vs St Francis
4:45 p.m. - St Francis vs NYAC
6 p.m. - Princeton vs Bucknell
Sunday
10 a.m. - Bucknell vs St Francis
11:30 a.m. - Princeton vs Michigan
2 p.m. - Princeton vs St Francis