Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Travel to No. 1 Stanford
2/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
2003 STANFORD INVITATIONAL
vs.#5 California
Feb. 8 • 9:00am PT
Last: 5/5/00, L 12-4
vs. #9 San Jose State
Feb. 8 • 4:00pm PT
Last: 1/25/03, W 10-8
vs. #1 Stanford
Feb. 9 • 9:00am PT
Last: 2/17/01, L 16-1
Getting Things Started
The No. 13 Indiana University women's water polo team will compete in its second week of competition this weekend, Feb. 8-9, at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
Indiana will square off against No. 5 California at 9:00 a.m. PT and then face No. 9 San Jose State at 4:00 p.m. in a rematch of the Hoosiers' 10-8 victory over the Spartans, two weeks ago at the Michigan Invitational.
The Hoosiers will conclude the Stanford Invite by playing the host and current No. 1 team in the nation, Stanford. The Cardinal are the defending NCAA national champions.
Also highlighting this year's invitational will be the matchup between Cal and IU. Former Michigan head coach, Amber Drury-Pinto, is in her first year as head coach at Cal.
Barry King Live...
"As far as Stanford goes, we're accepting it as another challenge. We need to forget that its Stanford and just play against seven other girls. Cal will be the toughest match for us. Amber knows how we play and yet, we don't know anything about Cal. It will be a battle for us."
Can You Take Me Higher...
In the national rankings released on Feb. 5, Indiana moved into a tie at 13th with California-Irvine. The ranking marks the highest mark for the Hoosiers in the sixth year history of the program.
Now There's A First
The Hoosiers' final game at the Michigan Invitational was a tough 10-8 win over No. 7 San Jose State, a team that Indiana had not beaten in its first three attempts. The Hoosiers and Spartans will reunite on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. PT at the Stanford Invitational.
Stanford Honored By CWPA
Indiana University All-American senior Kristin Stanford has been named the Collegiate Water Polo Association's Southern Division player of the week for her performance at the Michigan Invitational, Jan. 25-26.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Stanford capped off a high-scoring Michigan Invitational by tying the Indiana school record with six goals Jan. 26, as the Hoosiers topped No. 7 San Jose State, 10-8. In addition to her six goals, she recorded two steals and one assist.
Against Hartwick on Jan. 25, Stanford scored four goals on seven shots, while tallying three steals. Although it took until the fourth quarter of the Michigan game, she found the back of the net against the Wolverines as well, scoring once, with an assist and a steal each.
On the weekend, Stanford scored 11 goals on 24 shots (.458), while recording six steals and two assists. The all-time scoring leader at Indiana with 184 goals and a 2002 All-American, Stanford will lead the No. 13 Hoosiers this weekend at the Stanford Invitational.
Back In The Water
Hoosier sophomore Sharna Nelson appears to be healthy once again, as her ankle injury that she suffered before the Michigan Invitational has healed.
The Grafton, New South Wales, Australia, native did play at Michigan, but was forced to the sidelines during a couple of matches due to swelling and bruising.
Wang Out Of The Gates Quickly
Senior Ginger Wang is making the best of her final year as she exploded on both ends of the pool at the Michigan Invitational. A native of the Rowland Heights, Calif., Wang set a career high five steals, while scoring on each of the two shots she took against Hartwick in the season opener.
Wang would go on to record four assists and a team high 10 steals over the three-game span. She needs just two steals to pass Kirsten Mayberry for ninth all-time on the steals list, and four to pass teammate Jamie Marley for eighth.
Making The Most Of It
Junior Melissa Pietras joined the water polo squad in mid-season last year, after competing on the IU swim team for the first part of the season.
This year, the Hudsonville, Mich., native has directed her attention solely to water polo and is proving herself in the pool. Currently, Pietras holds the second best scoring average on the team (.429, 3-of-7), while emerging as the Hoosiers' top sprinter as well.
A Better Start Than Last Year
Barry King and his Hoosiers are pleased to have started out the year 2-1, with key wins over Hartwick and No. 7 San Jose State.
Last year, Indiana began the campaign 0-6 and did not reach the .500 mark until mid-March when the Hoosiers defeated Cal-State Bakersfield to move to 8-8 on the year.
Keeping Active In the Cage
Jessica Goldner recorded a career-high 24 attempts at the Michigan Invitational in the Hoosiers' 10-8 victory over San Jose State.
The Los Altos Hills, Calif., native's former best was 23 against Michigan last April. Her current mark of 24 is the fifth highest in school history. On the day, Goldner stopped eight of the 24 shots, while showing good position and quick moves in the cage as well.
Scoring Sophomores
Sophomores Krista Peterson and Sharna Nelson will also be scoring threats for the Hoosiers in 2003.
Peterson, who won a gold medal while competing for Team USA in the Junior Pan American Games last summer, adapted quickly to the Hoosier offense in her freshman season, scoring 50 goals on 141 shots. Her presence in the water makes her a threat for scoring multiple goals and will most likely call for defensive double-teams.
Peterson scored four times on 10 attempts at Michigan and assisted on two other IU goals.
Sharna Nelson, a relative-unknown from Australia, was a late addition to last year's Hoosier roster and had an incredible freshman season, netting 53 goals.
All By Herself
Sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Goldner will find herself awfully lonely this year, as she is the lone keeper on the Hoosier roster. Goldner split most of last season with veteran Kirsten Mayberry. Goldner recorded a 3.31 goals-against average in 2002, allowing 96 goals on 340 shots.
Fresh Faces
Coming off the most impressive recruiting class in Hoosier water polo history, Indiana coach Barry King has brought in quite the freshman class for 2003 -- one that will compete right away for starting roles.
Courtney Livak, Rachel Lowe, Bridget McKeon, Clare Meadows, Emily Schmitt, and Courtney Thom make up the list of Hoosier newcomers for this year's campaign.
Fresh Faces Producing
At the Michigan Invitational, Hoosier head coach Barry King played everyone on the roster, including Indiana's six freshmen. Of those six freshmen, the Hoosier newcomers combined for four goals on 19 shots, five assists, and just nine turnovers over three games.
Indiana Head Coach Barry King (6th Year)
Barry King is in his sixth season at Indiana. In 2002, King and his Hoosiers were just shy of making the NCAAs for the fourth time in five years. The team compiled a 21-14 record, giving IU four 20-win seasons in its five-year existence. King also won his 100th victory in 2002 and currently holds a 106-64-2 (.624) career coaching record.
The Madera, Calif., native also coached the IU club team for three years before it earned varsity status.
Assistant Coach Kristie Dickey (1st Year)
Kristie Dickey is in her first season with the Hoosiers. Known nationwide as a former player, Dickey was a four-time United States Water Polo All-American at the University of California-Davis from 1991-95. Dickey led the Aggies to a USWP National Collegiate title in 1993, while being named most valuable player for her efforts. Dickey also was a part of the Aggies squad that placed second in 1992 and recorded back-to-back third-place finishes in 1994 and 1995.
Media Access
Daily wrap-ups on each game will be available at IUHOOSIERS.com. Players will be available for interviews 10 minutes after each game or via telephone. All requests to speak with players must be submitted to Jeff Smith at jepsmith@indiana.edu or (812)-855-6209.
