Princeton University
Indiana
Players Mentioned
NCAA BOUND! Princeton Knocks Off #11 Indiana to Capture CWPA Championship
April 26, 2015 | Women's Water Polo
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
PRINCETON, N.J. – For the third time in four seasons, the 12th-ranked Princeton University women's water polo team laid claim to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) crown, ousting defending champion Indiana University in a thriller at DeNunzio Pool, 7-6.
Having dropped seven-straight match-ups (including two by one goal this season) to the 11th-ranked Hoosiers since a 10-5 win in 2007, Princeton avenged last year's 11-10 setback against Indiana in the CWPA finale. Winning their fourth CWPA championship, the Tigers earned the league's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Anchoring the Tigers' defensive efforts, Ashleigh Johnson recorded 17 saves, surpassing CWPA Hall of Fame inductee Goga Vukmirovic (990) for the most career saves in program history. Now with 1,003 saves, Johnson is the only player in Princeton women's water polo history to stop at least 1,000 shots.
Netting four goals, Ashley Hatcher upped her season total to 78, while moving into fifth-place on the program's career charts (194). Emily Smith and Haley Wan accounted for the Tigers' other three scores.
After Pippa Temple hit the left post just inside of the six-minute mark of the opening period, Wan took advantage of an Indiana exclusion, staking the Tigers to a 1-0 lead. Coming right back, the Hoosiers Kelly Matthews netted the equalizer at 4:30.
Approaching the three-minute mark, Hatcher took advantage of another Indiana exclusion, netting her 74th goal of the season. Once again pulling the Hoosiers even, Matthews put away her second of the contest to make it 2-2.
Forcing Johnson to make a lunging save at the far post and another stop from point-blank range, Indiana looked to take its first lead early in the second quarter. Successfully converting a 5-meter penalty, Matthews did just that, putting the Hoosiers up 3-2.
Once again tested inside of the five-minute mark, Johnson turned away another good Indiana scoring opportunity before starting a Princeton counter. Racing forward with numbers, Smith rifled a shot into the Hoosier cage at 4:16 to momentarily tie it at 3-3. Retaking the lead, Indiana corralled a rebound in front before putting it away with 2:04 left in the half.
Winning possession early in the third, Hatcher wasted little time pulling Princeton even, putting her first shot of the period into the left corner of the Hoosier net. Drawing a Princeton exclusion, Indiana regained the lead, recording the go-ahead goal at 5:13. With less than two minutes to go in the quarter, Smith picked an opportune time to notch her second of the game, beating Indiana goalie Mary Campbell on the near post to make it 5-5.
Going on the offensive, Hatcher helped the Tigers go back on top with a goal at 6:55. Racing forward on a counter-attack moments later, Hatcher again beat Campbell, giving Princeton its first two-goal lead of the final. Candyce Schroeder brought Indiana back within one with a goal at 2:23, but that was as close as the Hoosiers would get with the Orange and Black doing just enough down the stretch to lock-up the victory.
Johnson, Hatcher and Jessie Holechek each earned a spot on the CWPA All-Tournament first team for their efforts, while Taylor Dunstan was named to the second team. Hatcher had eight goals, four steals and three assists in three CWPA games, while Dunstan and six goals and four helpers. Holechek collected four helpers, while Johnson finished with 29 saves and a 0.725 save percentage.
Goals: Hatcher 4, Smith 2, Wan 1
Assists: Holechek 3, Dunstan 2, Hallock 1
Steals: Hatcher 3, Wan 2, Temple 1, Holechek 1, Smith 1
Ejections Drawn: Hatcher 3, Holechek 2, Dunstan 1, Lapkin 1, Hallock 1
Blocks: Smith 1
Saves: Johnson 17