37 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(09/05/05 5:11am)
Four games. Two freshmen. One goal. \nPut it all together, and the IU women's soccer team has its first victory of the season, defeating Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, Sunday afternoon.\nAfter going scoreless in the first three games of the season, the Hoosiers (1-2-1) tallied their first goal when freshman midfielder Molly Beckwith found the back of the net off an assist from fellow freshman midfielder Molly Kruger. It would be all the team needed as the defense shut out the Cyclones for a 1-0 win.\n"The first goal is always the hardest," Beckwith said. "After that they start to come more easily. We had some kinks in the first few games. I think we got some of those out and hopefully things will continue to improve for us. Although the score was only 1-0 we could have had four or five more goals if we had converted more chances."\nConverting chances is something IU head coach Mick Lyon has stressed since the beginning of the season. Sunday, he altered his game plan in hopes of accomplishing just that.\n"Today we put an extra forward in the front line," he said. "That immediately created some extra chances. Putting the extra player up front helped, but we have to keep rehearsing and practicing so that when it comes to the games we are executing and using the right techniques."\nOn defense, the Hoosiers held Iowa State to only four shots all game. Friday, the Cyclones took 19 shots in a 1-0 victory over Purdue. For Sunday's game, Lyon made changes to his defense as well.\n"Today, we started our same defensive unit that set a school record for shots allowed last year," he said. "Earlier in the season I tried to switch things around on defense, but I need to realize that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Today, for 90 minutes, our defense was solid as a rock."\nThe defense was not quite as solid Friday night against the University of Missouri (2-1-1). The unit allowed 14 shots and two goals as the Hoosiers lost 2-0. \n"I told the girls after the Missouri game that I am still confident in them," Lyon said. "They were disappointed in being winless after three games. They worked so hard in all of the previous games and hadn't gotten the result. Personally, I knew we would get a win sooner or later. Being prepared and confident are the two main things to be successful. We just asked them to give us everything they have and put it on the field. We asked for the extra effort because that is what makes the difference in winning games. I think they did that today and it really showed on the field."\nLyon was impressed with the play of his two freshmen as they teamed up for the Hoosiers' first goal of the season. The combination was one that will be seen a lot in the years to come, Lyon said. After her first collegiate victory, Kruger was also confident in the team's future.\n"Our team chemistry is finally coming together," she said. "We played with a lot more heart and intensity and more as a team. I think we really stepped it up. We were tired of losing. We realized that we needed to come out and play as a team. Things are definitely looking up for us."\nThe team will resume action Sept. 9 in its first home appearance of the season during the Hoosier Classic.
(08/26/05 5:30am)
After a rocky 2004 season, the IU women's soccer team will begin anew this weekend in California. With 23 of 24 letter winners returning from last year's team, the Hoosiers kick off the season against Loyola Marymount University Friday evening and face No. 18 USC Sunday afternoon.\nLast season, the Hoosiers jumped out to an 8-1 record. But the team was comprised of mostly underclassmen (11 sophomores, 8 freshmen) and struggled against tough teams on the road, just missing the NCAA tournament. \nIU head coach Mick Lyon has seen a much more experienced team so far this season in two exhibition victories.\n"We have been semi-tested by some exhibition so far," Lyon said. "Things looked good in those games. I am pretty pleased right now with how things look. We had a great spring and summer, and I think we are playing well as a team right now." \nThe preseason competition has shown Lyon the key areas that will be crucial to the team's success this season.\n"We have to start turning chances into goals," he said. "We always seem to create a lot of chances, but don't produce enough goals. Defensively, we have to come back with the same type of performance as last year's (school record of 18 goals allowed). We need to have a defense as stingy as Scrooge. The third factor is we are going to be dangerous on set plays. We have developed and recruited players that can serve free kicks with deadly accuracy. We are definitely going to score some goals on set plays this year."\nThe Hoosiers hope all three factors come into play this weekend as some tough competition awaits them in California. Loyola Marymount returns nine starters from last year's team that finished \n10-7-3. \n"We are excited about playing such a strong program in Loyola Marymount," Lyon said. "They are very physical and will challenge us at every position. One thing we do have to our advantage against LMU is they have not had an exhibition match this year. We have already had a chance to highlight both our weaknesses and strengths in our two preseason matches, and now have worked to improve on both. I am feeling confident that we can perform at our highest level of competition this Friday."\nUSC is ranked No. 18 in the nation by Soccer Buzz Magazine and second in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Trojans combine a talented group of upperclassmen with the nation's top-rated freshman class. \n"We are going to stretch our team with some valuable experience against them this weekend, and hopefully we will have some good results." Lyon said. "USC is young, and I am hoping we can take advantage of their inexperience, but they have some of the top young talent in the country, so it will not be easy."\nLeading the Hoosiers' offense this season will be junior forward Megan Pipkens. Pipkens played and started all 19 contests last season. She led the team with seven assists and finished tied for second on the team with four goals and 15 points.\n"We will be better this season than we have ever been," Pipkens said. "We have struggled with capitalizing on our opportunities in the past, but I think we have really improved on that this year. We have enough talent to go farther than ever before. Starting a new season, it is anyone's game, we just have to go out there strong and take it."\nAnother leader for the Hoosiers will be senior midfielder Kristen Zmijewski. Zmijewski, the 2005 captain, is optimistic about her team's chances this season.\n"So far through preseason we look great," Zmijewski said. "Considering our exhibition games and all our returning players we look pretty good. We have all pretty much been playing together for a whole year. We play well as a team, scoring and playing good defense. I think we just need to come out strong and hard against teams so that we can get ahead of team mentally and physically"
(05/02/05 6:05am)
Sunday was the second time this season the No. 10 IU water polo team faced Michigan in a post-season tournament championship game. It was the second time IU lost. \nLast weekend the Hoosiers lost the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division Tournament champion game to the Wolverines, 11-10 in overtime. This weekend, they lost in the CWPA Eastern Conference championship game to Michigan, 8-7.\nThe game was a classic IU-Michigan battle. For the fourth time in as many contests this season it was a back and forth game which was again decided by one goal. Michigan jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period. IU responded with its first goal near the end of the period, then tied the game early in the second. Michigan quickly regained its two goal lead. The Hoosiers and Wolverines traded goals to end the half and Michigan led by two at recess. IU controlled the third period, tying the game with two goals and shutting out the Wolverines. In the fourth period, Michigan resumed a two goal lead, but evened the score again with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Michigan scored again with under two minutes to go. This time IU was unable to respond, as its season came to an end.\n"I was very proud of the way the ladies battled back after being down by two goals on three different occasions," said IU coach Barry King. "It was a typical Indiana-Michigan affair that was decided by a few fortunate breaks one way or the other. It just did not go our way today."\nThe Hoosiers reached the final game in dramatic fashion on Saturday. In another one-goal decision IU overcame Hartwick College 7-6. \n"I was pleased that we did the things well that we prepared for," King said. "I thought it was an incredibly hard-fought game. We did a good job of taking away the things that they are known for. We played very well defensively."\nIU easily defeated George Washington University 11-4 in the first round Saturday morning. The Colonials scored the first goal of the game, but the Hoosiers responded with six unanswered goals. The Hoosiers moved to 6-0 all-time against George Washington. \n"I am happy with how we played this weekend," senior goalie Jessica Goldner said. "I really wish we had won but it didn't work out in our favor. Everybody played hard. We were down a few times and managed to keep coming back. I am so proud of this team. Everyone was amazing."\nWith the loss, the book closed on the careers of Goldner and fellow seniors Krista Peterson and Kandace Waldthaler. Goldner finishes with the school record for goals saved and third in save percentage. Peterson led the team in scoring this season and ranks second on the IU all-time scoring list. Waldthaler finished her career with four straight hat tricks. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(04/29/05 5:43am)
One team will advance this weekend to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Conference Championship. Seven will see their seasons come to an end.\nThe eight teams will compete in Bloomington at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center this weekend, where the No. 10 Hoosiers are the top seed, for the chance to advance to the NCAA tournament May 13-15.\nIU is undefeated at home this season. However, with a season on the line, competition will be fierce. IU coach Barry King knows winning this weekend will not be an easy task.\n"Even though we come in as the No. 1 seed, I would not consider that being the favorite," King said. "There are four teams in this tournament, including IU, that come in with essentially the same competitive resume. The semis and finals will be extremely competitive games."\nThe other three top teams are No. 2 seed Michigan, No. 3 seed Princeton University and No. 4 seed Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.\nThe Hoosiers posted a 2-1 record against the Wolverines this year, recording their first win in 17 tries on Jan. 29, but losing in overtime of the CWPA Western Division Championship game last weekend. All of the IU-Michigan games this season have been one-goal decisions.\nPrinceton has a 26-7 record this year and is ranked among the top 15 teams in the country. The Hoosiers are 5-7 all-time against the Tigers, but have won the last four match-ups.\nIU faces a potential rematch from last year's conference tournament in the semi-finals against Hartwick, a team which edged the Hoosiers 6-5 last season. IU's first-round opponent will be No. 8 seed George Washington University, a team the Hoosiers have never lost against. The Hoosiers have beaten the Colonials in each of the last three conference tournaments. \n"(George Washington) is a very young team," King said. "They are almost a brand new team from last year. But I have always liked how their coach has prepared teams for the post season. They will play hard and present some firm challenges for us."\nDespite all the challenges, the Hoosiers are focused on achieving their season-long goal of winning the Eastern Conference championship.\n"From day one the first thing we have talked about has been winning Easterns," King said. "Everything we do during the year points to this weekend. We have played well and worked hard to earn a top seed and make sure our chances our good. It is a matter of everyone bringing their best game to the pool. If we do that, we feel like we can win it."\nSenior goalkeeper Jessica Goldner is confident in her team's ability as long as it stays focused.\n"As long as we do not look ahead of ourselves we will be OK," she said. "We cannot just assume we will be on top. We have to play each game as it comes and prove we belong on top."\nAfter losing by one in overtime last week, senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler is ready to get back in the pool.\n"I am really excited to play," she said. "Especially after last weekend, it has been all I have been thinking about all week. I think our chances are good. We have to come out strong in every game and not underestimate anyone."\nSenior attacker Krista Peterson expects playing at home will give the team an added edge this weekend.\n"I think that it is really good that we are playing at home," she said. "Given that we played so well at home a few weeks ago, I feel like we have a definite advantage. But we will need to be at our best because teams play really hard in this tournament." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve \nBrennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(04/25/05 5:26am)
Trailing by five goals in the third period of the College Water Polo Association Western Division Championship game, the No. 8 Hoosiers refused to quit. Over the next period and a half, IU scored six of the last seven goals of regulation to force overtime against No. 10 Michigan Saturday night in Grove City, Penn. \nWith 5:04 remaining in the third period, Michigan had gained its largest lead of the game at 8-3. But IU rallied and responded with two straight goals to cut the lead to three going into the final period of regulation. The Hoosiers scored the first two goals of the fourth period to pull within one of the Wolverines. Michigan responded with a goal of its own to push the advantage back to two. After scoring again to move within one, IU got its chance to tie the game with less than one minute remaining -- senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler drew a penalty shot and converted to tie the game at nine and send it into overtime. \n"I was happy with the way the ladies fought back to force overtime," IU coach Barry King said. "We could have easily mailed it in after we got down by five goals, but we came back and had a chance to win."\nThe comeback stalled in the extra session, however. Michigan scored two goals in the first of two three-minute overtime periods. IU did not score until two seconds were remaining in the final overtime period, while falling one goal short of its first postseason CWPA Western Division Championship.\n"There were some things that we could have done better, but I was encouraged by our comeback," King said. "I am happy, considering the work it took to come back and force overtime. The girls fought real hard and got themselves in a position to win the game."\nIU defeated Grove City College 16-1 Friday in the opening round of the tournament. The high-scoring continued Saturday morning as the Hoosiers beat Washington and Jefferson College 15-1. The wins were the second for IU against both schools this season. The Hoosiers have never lost to either team.\n"I think we are right in the place we need to be," King said. "There is not a whole lot of disappointment involved with this weekend. It is just one more step toward the goal of being in the (CWPA Eastern Conference) championship game next weekend. We are healthy. We are excited. I think we will be ready to go and make our best attempt at winning the championship."\nBy finishing in the top two this weekend, IU received a bid to play in the CWPA Eastern Conference Championship in Bloomington next weekend. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Freshman center Carolyn Conway, who had a hat trick against Grove City, is hopeful about next weekend.\n"In a way, I think it is actually a good thing we lost to Michigan because now we are looking for revenge in Easterns," Conway said. "It just makes us even hungrier to win. We feel like we need to go out there and prove to everyone how good we really are." \nWhile Conway is looking for revenge, Waldthaler wants the final chapter of her IU career to have a happy ending.\n"It is rough losing to Michigan, but we played well coming back," Waldthaler said. "It showed a lot of character that we did not give up. It is a little disappointing, but I am looking forward to the next weekend a lot more. I am ready to play and do well. I want to finish on top."\nSeniors Waldthaler, attacker Krista Peterson and goalie Jessica Goldner will be playing in their home pool for the last time next weekend. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(04/22/05 5:28am)
Despite three weeks off from competition, the No. 8 IU water polo team has been anything but idle, according to coach Barry King. It has had three full weeks of practice and played intra-squad scrimmages as real games. \n"We tried to treat each week like we had games that weekend," King said. "I like the way we worked out the last few weeks. We have had some good, sharp practices. Everyone is healthy. We have not missed a beat."\nThe team will resume play this weekend as the No. 1 seed in the College Water Polo Association Western Division Tournament in Grove City, Penn. After going 7-0 against division opponents in the regular season, the Hoosiers are poised to win their first postseason Western Division championship.\n"A couple of things are at our advantage," King said. "The time off makes us healthy and rested. Playing in a small pool at Grove City is also to our advantage. We know what we can do. We just need to go out there and take advantage of our opportunities. I do not see anything holding us back this weekend. We are ready to go." \nThe Hoosiers' first game is against Grove City College Friday. IU is 7-0 all-time against Grove City. The last victory was a 17-4 decision on March 3. The winner of the IU-Grove City contest will face the winner of the 4-5 game between Mercyhurst College and Washington & Jefferson College. The Hoosiers have never lost to either team and beat both earlier this season. Winning both games will put IU in the championship game -- setting up a potential game against No. 11 Michigan, the No. 2 seed. The Hoosiers beat Michigan twice this season by a score of 7-6 each time.\n"The Michigan contest is important," King said. "It will be our last meaningful competition before the (Eastern) conference tournament. We need to treat every game like a conference final because we really need to be ready for the conference tournament next weekend."\nThe top two teams this weekend will advance to the CWPA Eastern Conference Championship, April 30 through May 1 in Bloomington. The winner of the Eastern Championship receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship May 13-15 in Ann Arbor, Mich.\n"I feel really good about this weekend," senior goalie Jessica Goldner said. "It should be a successful trip. It will be good preparation for Easterns. I am not discounting Divisionals, but Easterns is what we are really looking toward since it is what we need to qualify for the NCAA tournament."\nSenior attacker Kandace Waldthaler hopes to take advantage of every opportunity to make her final postseason as successful as possible.\n"This is the last chance to play," she said. "It is more motivation for me and all the seniors to go out strong and finish on top. We are rested, prepared, and ready to go. There is nothing holding us back." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve \nBrennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(04/04/05 5:00am)
For the seventh time in eight years the No. 9 IU water polo team has recorded a 20-win season. \nThe Hoosiers (20-8) wrapped up the regular season this weekend by defeating Colorado State University 11-4, No. 14 University of California-Davis 4-3 and No. 10 San Jose State University 14-9 at the Fluid Five Invitational at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. \nOn Saturday against Colorado State, IU picked up right where it left off on Jan. 30 when it beat the Rams 13-3. Senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler scored the first goal only 37 seconds into the game. The Hoosiers went on to build a 5-0 advantage in the first period. After Colorado State cut the lead to three, the Hoosiers went on a 6-0 run in the second and third periods. IU finished with a .500 shooting percentage, finding the net on 11 of 22 shots to win 11-4.\nSaturday night things were not so easy against UC-Davis. Neither team scored until there were only 41 seconds remaining in the first period, when sophomore attacker Kristin Zernicke put the Hoosier up 1-0. The Hoosiers were up 3-0 after junior attacker Janis Pardy scored at the 3:39 mark in the second. A little over a minute later the Aggies scored their first goal. Neither team scored again until the fourth period, when freshman center Carolyn Conway put the Hoosiers up 4-1. UC-Davis scored two more goals of their own, but they would not be enough as IU came away with the victory 4-3.\n"Tonight, we were able to play the way we wanted to play," said IU coach Barry King. "The girls played good solid defense all night, and when you can force the other team to make that one extra pass, which can lead to a turnover, you put yourself in a good position to win the game." \nThe Hoosiers finished the weekend on Sunday by avenging a Feb. 25 loss to San Jose State. The Spartans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as senior Laura Scott scored two of her four goals in the game, but IU would lead 4-3 after one. The second period was much like the first as San Jose State scored two straight goals and IU scored three straight to end the period with a 7-5 lead. IU pulled away in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals and building a 10-5 lead. Both teams scored four goals in the final period. The win was the teams' fifth over a top ten opponent this season -- a school record.\n"We knew that they would be physical, but we stepped it up and used it to our advantage," King said. "We made some defensive adjustments and kept countering down the pool. When they made ball mistakes it started our counterattack. This is by far the best counterattack game we have had."\nSenior attacker Krista Peterson took advantage of her opportunities scoring three goals for a hat-trick in her last regular-season home game. \n"It was awesome," Peterson said. "It was fun to play well and finish with a bang. We knew what we needed to do and stepped it up. We wanted to show we were the better team and we came out and did that."\nPlaying in front of a home crowd made a difference, senior goalie Jessica Goldner said.\n"It is much better with a friendly crowd," she said. "The energy from the crowd adds a lot of excitement. We love to have fans."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(04/01/05 5:35am)
The No. 9 IU women's water polo team has been ranked in the top 10 for the past four weeks. It has posted a 17-8 record and has been ranked no lower than No. 11, despite playing 13 of the top 20 teams in the nation. All of those games have been on the road.\nThis weekend the Hoosiers finally get to play at home in the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center at the Student Recreational Sports Complex. \n"We have been looking forward to this weekend," said IU coach Barry King. "It will be nice to be at home and not have to deal with traveling. But, it will be important for us to get past the distractions of being at home. Most of the parents will be here. Friends will be at the games."\nThe first game for the Hoosiers will be at 1 p.m. Saturday against Colorado State University. The Hoosiers and Rams met Jan. 30 at the Michigan Invitational. The Rams were playing in their first weekend of competition as a varsity team, and IU rudely welcomed them with a 13-3 defeat. \n"I expect them to be better than they were at the beginning," King said. "We played them on their first weekend of their varsity existence. They have had time to gel as a team and gain some experience. Still, we are a little better physically and in the goal. We need to use those advantages in our counterattacks against them."\nThe next game will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against No. 14 University of California-Davis. The Aggies are coming off a big win -- defeating No. 8 University of California-Santa Barbara in overtime March 25.\n"They are a young team," King said. "They've been up and down. The Santa Barbara win was big for them. They have a lot of energy and will try to counterattack a lot. "\nSunday the Hoosiers take on No. 10 San Jose St. at 11:30 a.m. IU lost to the Spartans 7-6 Feb. 25 in a game the Hoosiers felt they should have won. They'll be looking for revenge this time, King said.\n"We are looking forward to that one," King said. "That is the one game we lost this year that we think we should have won... The added payback issue will help us. "\nThree seniors will play in their final regular-season home games this weekend. Attackers Krista Peterson and Kandace Waldthaler and goalie Jessica Goldner will bid farewell during senior night festivities before the UC-Davis game Saturday night.\n"I am excited," Waldthaler said. "It will be good to finally play at home in front of our friends and family. It is sad to think that it is ending soon, but we still have a lot of important games ahead of us."\nDespite the emotions of a final game, the task at hand still remains priority No. 1.\n"It will be bittersweet," Goldner said. "This is a really great group of girls and I am really going to miss playing with them. But we still need to stay focused and go out and keep winning. It will be important to finish this season out strong."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(03/25/05 5:17am)
Anyone who has been watching the NCAA basketball tournament has seen the commercial saying, "There are 360,000 NCAA student-athletes, and just about all of us will be going pro in something other than sports." \nHere at IU, there are 18 student-athletes on the women's water polo team, and all of them will be going pro in something other than sports.\nThe No. 9 Hoosiers have had many accomplishments in the pool so far this season, most recently, winning the program's first regular-season College Water Polo Association Western Division title. The team is also accomplished out of the pool. On March 2, 10 players were named Alpha Beta honorees. To qualify for Alpha Beta recognition, student-athletes must record a minimum 3.0 GPA for the most recent academic semester.\n"School is by far my most important priority," said senior goalie Jessica Goldner. "Water polo is important, but I am at college to get an education. I am a student-athlete. A lot of times people forget the student part, but for me, it should always come first."\nGoldner, whose GPA is above a 3.5, places so much value on education that she plans to going into elementary education after graduating in May. She spends nearly 10 hours studying each week. Balancing that with conditioning, practice, traveling and still maintaining a social life can be difficult, she said. \nJunior attacker Janis Pardy, The IU athletic department's 2005 recipient for the Scholastic Achievement Award, agrees.\n"It is pretty tough," Pardy said. "You have to do a lot of time management and being organized. You do not have a lot of time to waste. There is not much down time. You end up missing quite a bit of school and it always feels like you are catching up."\nEven with all that difficulty, Pardy does not feel like she is at a disadvantage to the rest of her classmates. It just makes her have to work hard for what she wants. She and her teammates take advantage of travel time on the bus or plane in order to get their work done, she said. \n"(Being a student-athlete) has made me develop good work habits," Pardy said. "We all understand how important school is and we all try to do our best."\nJunior attacker Kristin Zernicke, another Alpha Beta honoree, has the highest GPA on the team. She credits those around her for the team's high academic performance. \n"I really like school and I think that my courses are interesting," Zernicke said. "But it is not just me. There are a lot of people who want to see us succeed. The team, the coaches, and the athletic department all really support us." \nIU coach Barry King's teams have always performed well academically. Since 2001, his teams have had 22 American Water Polo Coaches Association Academic All-Americans. Since 1999, there have been 44 Academic All-Big Ten honorees. In 2004, IU was the only team ranked among the top 20 in the final poll of the season and the top 10 in team GPA.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(03/21/05 5:15am)
For the first time in program history, the IU water polo team is the regular season College Water Polo Association Western Division champion. The No. 9 Hoosiers defeated No. 11 Michigan 7-6 Friday in Ann Arbor, Mich.\n"It was an important win for us psychologically to back up our performance from earlier in the year," said IU coach Barry King. "I thought we played particularly well. We got good, solid performances from a lot of people."\nTrailing after three periods, IU tied the game in the fourth period. The Hoosiers had an opportunity to win the game with 20 seconds left in regulation, but freshman center Carolyn Conway's break-away shot was denied -- sending the game to overtime. Michigan scored the first goal of the extra session, but IU answered with two goals of its own. Junior attacker Janis Pardy found the back of the net with 54 seconds remaining to give the Hoosiers the victory.\n"I was totally in the moment," Pardy said. "After I scored I did not even realize that it was the end of the game. I just wanted to keep going."\nThe victory was one of four the Hoosiers totaled during spring break. The team also beat then-No. 19 Arizona State 6-5 March 13 in Tempe, Ariz., and followed the win against Michigan by beating Brown 4-2 and California Lutheran 14-2 Saturday. Senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler recorded her fourth hat-trick of the season. The two-time CWPA player of the week scored four goals against Arizona State.\n"We played really well," Waldthaler said. "We learn something every single game to prepare us for the future. Each time we get a big win like against Michigan it gives us a lot of confidence."\nThe Hoosiers also dropped three games during the break -- falling to No. 3 California State University-Long Beach and No. 13 University of California-Irvine March 12 in Tempe and No. 7 Loyola Marymount Sunday in Ann Arbor. The team is now 17-8 on the season. The next contest for the Hoosiers will be the Fluid Five April 2-3 at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. It will be the last weekend of competition before the post-season.\n"We are looking forward to getting some rest," King said. "It has been a long month and a lot of time on the road. We are all looking forward to being home for a bit. We are really rounding into form, making opponents work hard to score goals. That's good for us as we move toward the post-season." \n- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(03/11/05 6:07am)
The IU water polo team will begin its spring break by heading to warmer weather this weekend. The players will spend hours in the pool under the hot Tempe, Ariz., sun. However, their experience will be anything but a vacation.\nThe Hoosiers will take on three tough opponents -- No. 3 California State University-Long Beach, No. 13 University of California-Irvine and No. 19 Arizona State University.\nLong Beach State is coming off a victory against then No. 3 Stanford University -- a team that beat IU Feb. 13. The Hoosiers are 1-2 all-time against the 49ers with the lone victory in 1998. \n"They are a tough team," said IU coach Barry King. "But we are really looking forward to that match. It is one where we can get a good game in and try to win. They are a good team with a great coach. That is going to be a quality game."\nUC-Irvine is 6-7 so far this season, while IU is 7-0 against teams with a losing record. The Hoosiers are 3-0 all-time against the Anteaters. IU got a look at this year's team at the UC-Santa Barbara Invitational Feb. 25-27.\n"They are a young team with a new coach," King said. "They have been up and down this year; winning some tough games and losing easy ones. They have a great defense with an excellent freshman goalie. I expect a lower-scoring game against them."\nIU saw Arizona State play at the UCSB Invitational as well. The Sun Devils have a losing record, 4-8. The Hoosiers are 2-0 all-time against the Sun Devils. They have a lot of other similarities to UC-Irvine, King said.\n"They are a young group who have had an up-and-down season," King said. "It will be different playing outdoors in their own pool. I expect higher scoring in that game than Long Beach State and UC-Irvine."\nAfter the weekend in Arizona, the Hoosiers head back to the bitter cold for a week of training before heading to Ann Arbor, Mich. There, IU will play No. 12 Michigan for the College Water Polo Association Western Division Championship. The Hoosiers beat the Wolverines Jan. 29 in Ann Arbor.\n"We have been focusing on that game," King said. "It is an important game as far as conference seeding is concerned. We want to keep the momentum from some of the better things we have done this season going. Games like that will give us a sense of where we have come and where we can be."\nAfter the Michigan game, IU will participate in the Wolverine Invitational against Brown and No. 7 Loyola Marymount. Brown is a question mark this season after losing a lot of players to graduation, while Loyola Marymount returned much of its team, featuring a starting seven with two Canadian Olympic team members, King said.\n"This is an important stretch for us," King said. "We're going to be tired; it is a lot of traveling in a short time. We will find out a lot about ourselves as a group. It will take a lot of intestinal fortitude to make it through. We will have to play some hard games without a lot of gas in the tank."\nThe team will look for senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler to continue her strong play during this stretch. This week, Waldthaler was named CWPA player of the week for the second time this season. Waldthaler and the rest of the team hope to continue to play hard, while still improving. \n"We are at a point in the season where we need to keep getting better," said senior attacker Krista Peterson. "We cannot be happy to stay where we are. If we want to be a great team we cannot look back, we need to keep progressing."\nThe team knows what they need to do to get better and continue their strong play, said senior goalie Jessica Goldner.\n"We have had time to think about our mistakes and our successes, now we need to use them to our advantage," Goldner said. "This is a turning point for the team. I think we are up to the task. It is a great group of girls. I have a lot of faith in them."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(03/07/05 5:13am)
When the No. 9 Hoosiers left Bloomington this weekend they were undefeated against all six teams awaiting them in Pennsylvania. \nSix games and 94 goals later, nothing has changed. \n"The goal for this weekend was to pick up victories and keep everyone healthy," said IU coach Barry King. "We were able to accomplish that. It is always good when you get contributions from everyone."\nThe first win came Saturday against Washington and Jefferson. IU scored the first nine goals of the game en route to a 17-2 victory. Washington and Jefferson did not score until there were 23 seconds left in the third period. The Hoosiers recorded a season-high 21 steals in the game.\nIU won the second game against Slippery Rock 19-6. The team led 11-2 at halftime, and tallied a season-high 15 assists in the win. The Hoosiers are now 7-0 against Slippery Rock all-time.\nIn the final game on Saturday, IU defeated Grove City 17-4. Nine of the Hoosiers' first 10 goals came from senior attacker Krista Peterson and freshman center Carolyn Conway.\nThe Hoosiers continued their dominance on Sunday, beating Penn State-Behrend 14-2. IU controlled the game from the beginning, scoring the first 10 goals of the game and holding their opponent scoreless in the first period. Sophomore center Claire Nicholson had a career-high seven steals, putting her at third place on the team's all-time single-game steals list.\nAgainst Mercyhurst, IU led 8-1 at halftime and 15-2 after three periods, en route to a 16-4 victory. The Hoosiers had a very balanced attack in the game, as six players had at least two goals.\nGannon offered the most competition for the Hoosiers all weekend. IU only held a 3-0 advantage at halftime. The Hoosiers started to pull away in the second half, scoring eight goals to post an 11-4 victory.\n"It is always good to get to see a lot of people play and get a lot of contributions," King said. "It is always good to see people get a chance to do the things we work on everyday. It means we are doing the right things in practice and that bodes well for what we are doing."\nPeterson and Conway each recorded two hat tricks over the weekend. Peterson led the team with 16 goals, while Conway was second with 14. But there was plenty of scoring to go around for everyone, Peterson said.\n"I stepped it up this weekend, but the whole team played well," she said. "A lot of people saw playing time. We have a lot of skill on our team and everyone got a chance to show their skill. I think we all did a really good job."\nConway agreed that the Hoosiers played well as a team and did a good job to avoid playing down to their competition's level. \n"It was good to show that we can play hard in every game, not just the hard ones," she said. "We showed that we can be consistent. There were more easy opportunities, but we still did a good job to execute them. We all played pretty well, it was a good experience."\nWith the six wins, the Hoosiers improved to 13-5 on the season. All of the wins were against Collegiate Water Polo Association Western Division foes. IU is undefeated in division play and will face Michigan on March 18 for the division championship. The Hoosiers beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich. on January 29.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(03/04/05 6:48am)
For the first time all season, every one of the Hoosiers' opponents this weekend will be unranked. None of the teams have ever beaten IU, but the Hoosiers are not taking things lightly.\nComing off of a loss to No. 6 California, the No. 9 Hoosiers hope to rebound when they head east to start the College Water Polo Association Western Division play.\n"We were disappointed with the losses (last weekend)," said IU coach Barry King. "We fought hard in tough games, but came up just short. This weekend is a little bit of a step down, but it's the second part of our season and we will not take it lightly."\nThe competition this weekend will be made up of six schools in the CWPA Western Division with IU. \n"(Most of the teams we play this weekend) try to get a bunch of athletes who do swimming to come out for water polo," King said. "We don't really know much about them other than that they will be good swimming teams. In the past they haven't really given us much trouble."\nIU is 5-0 against Washington and Jefferson University, outscoring the Presidents 81-7 in those matches. The Hoosiers have beaten Slippery Rock all six times the two teams have played, with IU averaging nearly 16 goals the last five times. The team is 5-0 against Penn State-Behrend, scoring 69 more goals during those five games. IU is 3-0 against Mercyhurst, with last game being a 15-3 Hoosier victory last season. The Hoosiers are 6-0 against Gannon, but the Knights will be the toughest contest of the weekend, King said.\n"Gannon will be the best test out there," he said. "Their coach does a good job recruiting. Playing in their own pool I'm sure they will be excited and have a big crowd on hand. It should be pretty interesting; they are typically the third best team in the division, behind Indiana and Michigan."\nThe Hoosiers have struggled putting games away early. They will try to change that this weekend, said senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler.\n"I think we will definitely be able to start out strong and put games away early," she said. "If we put the game away early we don't have to worry about the outcome. If we play our game I don't expect these games to be as close as our previous games."\nThe Hoosiers hope to continue their strong play this weekend. It will be important not to play down to the competition, said senior attacker Krista Peterson.\n"Given that we don't have too many tough games this weekend we need to play our game instead of playing down to our competition," Peterson said. "We need to keep moving in a positive direction and keep playing our game. That will be key for us."\nHaving learned some lessons from their previous games, the Hoosiers hope to be better prepared for this weekend. \n"We know what we need to work on," said senior goalie Jessica Goldner. "We need to take what we've learned in the past weekends and use it against these teams. Everyone has shown a lot of heart. We keep playing tough no matter what the score is, in both wins and losses we keep pushing."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve \nBrennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(02/25/05 6:20am)
The IU water polo team has posted a 4-3 record so far this season, with losses to the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the nation. \nCompetition will be tough again this weekend as 19 of the top 20 teams in the nation await the Hoosiers in Santa Barbara, Calif., at the Gaucho Invitational. Still, the No. 6 Hoosiers are ready. \n"I think we have a little momentum (from the Stanford Invitational)," said IU coach Barry King. "(This weekend) will be a matter of getting in there and doing what we have to do. The wins and losses will take care of themselves."\nThe Hoosiers' first game against unranked Cal State-San Bernardino will be only the third time IU has played a team with a losing record this season. However, the team will need to stay focused on the task at hand to prevent an upset, King said.\n"Our biggest obstacle will be making sure we don't look past that game," he said. "I imagine they will be a pretty good swimming team, but if we play our game we should win."\nThe second game against No. 11 San Jose State should offer more of a challenge. The Spartans have beaten the Hoosiers in four out of their previous five meetings, but this time the Hoosiers enter having already seen San Jose State play at the Stanford Invitational.\n"Having seen them play a couple of times, we will be ready for them," King said. "They are going to be physical. We will need to get some quick open looks and pick up the tempo of the game to turn it to our advantage." \nShould IU win both games, it would set up for a potential rematch against No. 3 Stanford in the second round of the invitational. The Hoosiers lost to the Cardinals Feb. 13 at the Stanford Invitational. Before the Stanford game, IU had already played the No. 2, No. 6 and No. 7-ranked teams in the course of 24 hours. \n"We were coming off of three phenomenal games and just ran out of gas by the time we got to them," King said. "We got some good fitness work this week and will be better prepared. We definitely learned some lessons from the last game that will make us more ready for them this time."\nAfter each of the past two tournaments, an IU Hoosier was named Collegiate Water Polo Association Player of the Week. The most recent recipient is senior goalie Jessica Goldner, who leads the country in saves with 68, 11.3 per game. After this weekend, the Hoosiers hope to see a third player receive the award.\n"I expect to see some (other players) step up this weekend as teams adjust," King said. "I have been very pleased with the balance we have had so far."\nSenior attacker Kandace Waldthaler, the team's leading scorer with nine goals, won the first Player of the Week Award and freshman center Carolyn Conway hopes to be the next. Conway is second on the team with eight goals.\n"I have only been playing with these girls for a short time and I feel pretty comfortable with them right now," Conway said. "I think we have meshed a lot over the last few weeks." \nSenior attacker Krista Peterson feels this team plays better than any for which she has played throughout her four years at IU. The fact that the Hoosiers currently hold highest ranking in the program's history backs up that feeling.\n"I think we're really clicking so far," Peterson said. "We work a lot better as a team, instead of just relying on one person. I feel like we can keep going with this and be even better. There is no reason to stop now."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve \nBrennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(02/11/05 5:59am)
The IU women's water polo team never backs down from a challenge. \nThe team competed valiantly in its season opener against No. 1 UCLA, falling just short of victory. But rather than dwell on a tough loss, the team took lessons from the UCLA game and used them to defeat then-No. 9 Michigan. The Hoosiers will bring that same toughness to Palo Alto, Calif., this weekend for the Stanford Invitational.\nChallenges abound for the Hoosiers again this weekend, playing against three ranked opponents -- No. 2 USC, No. 6 California and No. 7 Hawaii.\n"I thought the women did a good job getting back from the weekend and worked hard," coach Barry King said. "We probably got better in that week off. I'm not worried about being rusty at all."\nThose two weeks of preparation will be critical as the Hoosiers try to defeat the Golden Bears for the first time in six tries. Cal returns their leading scorer from last year, All-American senior Jodie Needles and a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Junior National Team, sophomore Elsie Windes. Cal is a big, physical team, but they have a weakness at the goalie position the team hopes to exploit, King said.\nIn the second game of the weekend the Hoosiers will play a team from Hawaii -- they just don't know who will be on that team. The Rainbow Wahine could feature a dynamic squad consisting of several players who have been competing internationally, if they are eligible. If they aren't, the Hoosiers could be facing a team composed of underclassmen.\n"They're kind of a question mark," King said. "They could be the same team we played well against last year, but let it slip away at the end. They could be a whole new group. Regardless, I think the teams will be feeling each other out for the first half of the game."\nIn the third game this weekend, the Hoosiers will face defending national champion, USC. The Trojans return essentially the whole team from their title run a year ago, as well as adding one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. The Hoosiers will be tested, but hope to implement some of the lessons they learned in a loss to No. 1 UCLA at the Michigan Invitational.\n"USC is more physical than UCLA, but not as fast," King said. "They tend to be more half-court oriented. We'll have to force action from the perimeter and execute on counter attacks. I think that is where we can be better than them, in getting down the pool faster."\nSenior attacker Kandace Waldthaler, IU's leading scorer, recorded a hat trick against Michigan at the Michigan Invitational and was named the Western Division Player of the Week by the Collegiate Water Polo Association for her performance.\n"I feel pretty good (about this weekend)," Waldthaler said."We're going to have some good, close games, but we can win. I think we have a chance to pull off some upsets."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve \nBrennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(01/31/05 5:21am)
The IU water polo team set out this weekend to do something it hadn't done in its last 16 attempts -- beat Michigan. That was accomplished when the No. 11 Hoosiers upset the No. 9 Wolverines 7-6 Saturday at the Michigan Invitational at Ann Arbor. The team finished the weekend with a 2-1 record.\nThe Michigan game was a classic Indiana-Michigan match-up, with the outcome in doubt right up to the final minutes of the game. The teams entered the fourth period at 4-4. Throughout the final period, Michigan answered every IU goal. Finally, junior defender Emily Schmitt scored on a pass from junior defender Clare Meadows to put the Hoosiers up for good with less than two minutes to play. \n"It was a typical Indiana-Michigan game," coach Barry King said. "It was gonna be a matter of getting the last score, and it was us this time. We converted opportunities one more time than they did."\nSenior attacker Kandace Waldthaler converted her share of opportunities, scoring three goals for her first hat trick of the season.\n"It felt good to come out and do well, I just played as hard as I could," Waldthaler said. "It was definitely a team effort all around, but I knew that I needed to step it up." \nThe victory against Michigan was much needed after IU dropped its season opener to No. 1 UCLA. The Bruins, featuring four members of the 2004 U.S. women's water polo Olympic team, defeated IU 14-2 in the first game of the day Saturday. \nThe Bruins' physical style of play dominated the game. They forced 23 Hoosier turnovers that led to eight counterattack goals.\nWaldthaler and fellow senior attacker Krista Peterson scored the only Hoosier goals of the game. Senior goalie Jessica Goldner led the Hoosiers on the defensive end with 11 saves and two steals. Junior defender Clare Meadows also had two steals for IU. \n"(UCLA) has quite a few players with some solid experience," King said. "It was a good opening game. We took some lessons that we learned against UCLA and used them against Michigan."\nThose lessons obviously carried over to the final game of the weekend, as IU defeated Colorado State. 13-3 Sunday. The Hoosiers dominated the game from the start, scoring 10 unanswered goals before the Rams finally got on the board. After scoring her first goal of her career against Michigan, freshman center Carolyn Conway let loose on Sunday by posting a hat trick against Colorado State.\n"I felt a lot more comfortable in the pool," Conway said. "I kind of got over the first-day jitters."\nKing said he believes that Conway's development over the weekend, as well as her potential, is indicative of the entire team.\n"We think that she can play on our level," King said. "It's expected that she'll get even better and help us even more."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve \nBrennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.
(01/28/05 7:16am)
The IU water polo team is looking to build on an impressive 20-9 record last year as it begins its season this weekend at the Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor. \nThe Hoosiers finished the season by placing third at the College Water Polo Association Eastern Championships and ranked No. 13 in the country. Thirteen letter winners return from last year's team, including three All Conference selections in seniors Krista Peterson, Kandace Waldthaler and Jessica Goldner. Peterson is also a two-time honorable mention All-American.\n"We're as good as we've ever been," coach Barry King said. "Our success is going to be a matter of getting our talent to mesh."\nHow quickly that happens will depend on the play of the seniors. Attackers Peterson and Waldthaler will look to score early and often, while Goldner will anchor the defense from the goalie position. \n"Early responsibility is going to rest with Peterson and Waldthaler," King said. "They know how it feels to put the ball in the net."\nPeterson and Waldthaler are the team leaders, but they will not be the only players contributing this weekend. The nucleus of last year's team remains intact, while five newcomers have joined the team this year, providing depth at both ends of the pool. \n"We have all the skills, athletes and ability (to succeed)," Peterson said. "We just need to prove it. I'm really anxious to see how we do in real action." \nThe No. 11 Hoosiers will rely on quality playing time from the whole team this weekend as they face No. 1 UCLA and No. 9 Michigan on Saturday, and then take on Colorado State on Sunday.\nThe first game will be against the 2003 NCAA Champion UCLA. The Bruins finished last season ranked No. 4 in the country. Four players return to the Bruins after redshirting last season. The four were training with the U.S. National team that won the bronze metal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. \n"UCLA will be a tough game," Peterson said. "They will be a good warm-up for Michigan." \nIndiana and Michigan have played each other 16 times over the last four years. While Michigan has won 15 of those match-ups, and owns the all-time series advantage, the Hoosiers have put up a good fight -- 10 of the last 16 games have been decided by two goals or less and six of those 16 games have gone into overtime. \n"We'll just go out and play our hardest," Goldner said. "Getting a shot at Michigan in the first weekend will be nice. Being a senior, I'm ready for it."\nIndiana and Colorado State have never faced each other in a water polo match because the Rams will be playing in their inaugural season as a varsity sport.\n"It'll be nice to finally see what we have," Goldner said. "I think we're gonna have a really strong year." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at