IU water polo will get its first home matches of the season this weekend as it faces off against five different teams at the Indiana Classic.
IU will play Salem University, Mercyhurst University, Wagner College, California State University, East Bay and California State University, Northridge.
IU's first match of the weekend will be at 7 p.m. Friday against Salem University, previously known as Salem International. The Hoosiers have never lost to the Tigers, as they hold the all-time series lead 4-0. IU has defeated Salem by double digits in all four matches since its first meeting in 2001.
In IU’s second match of the weekend, it will face Mercyhurst at 10 a.m Saturday. The Hoosiers have dominated against the Lakers since 2002, holding an all-time series lead of 16-0. The last time these two teams met was in 2016 when the Hoosiers beat the Lakers 15-5.
Following IU's first match on Saturday morning, it will play again at 6 p.m. against Wagner, another team trying to get its first win over IU in program history. The Hoosiers hold another all-time record of 16-0 against the Seahawks.
IU will be up early for an 8 a.m. tilt Sunday against CSU East Bay. The Hoosiers haven't played the Pioneers since 2016, but hold the all-time series lead 4-0. The Pioneers will be looking for their first win against IU in program history after starting the series in 2010. The last time these two teams met, the Hoosiers were victorious 13-6.
In their history, the Hoosiers hold a perfect lifetime record of 40-0 against the first four teams they face in the Indiana Classic.
Following its Sunday morning match, IU will get a chance to narrow the all-time series lead between it and CSU Northridge at 12:30 p.m. The Matadors hold a slight edge over the Hoosiers in the all-time series, up 6-4. The series between the teams started back in 2004, but the last meeting was in 2017, where the Hoosiers came out with a 6-4 win.
Out of all the teams attending the Indiana Classic this weekend, CSU Northridge is the only team to have a program win against IU. The Hoosiers have an overall record of 44-6 against all five teams combined.
If the IU can score on Salem, Mercyhurst, Wagner and CSU East Bay like it has in the past, then keep an eye out for freshman attacker Tina Doherty and freshman utility Izzy Mandema. They both create a great force for the Hoosiers on offense as Doherty leads the team in shots and goals, followed by Mandema in both categories.
The Hoosiers' offensive efficiency generates from junior attackers Megan Abarta and Gillian Gatecliff and freshman utility Hannah Falls-Hand, who all have four or more assists on the season. Abarta leads the team with six assists through nine games played.
The Hoosiers will play all five matches at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center. IU's first match of the weekend will be at 7 p.m. Friday.
