IU Finishes Fourth at NCAAs

5/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo

LA JOLLA, Calif. - After winning 10 of its last 11 games before entering its first ever NCAA Championship, the Indiana University women's water polo team ended the most successful season in school history on a two-game losing streak. Yet, the season also ended with 14 young women holding heads high and smiling wide.

See, this past weekend has been about firsts. After all, this was the first time Indiana had ever advanced to the NCAA Championship. Once in La Jolla, Calif., the Hoosiers looked to become the first East Coast team to win the consolation game.

In the past three years, Stanford and UCLA have competed in the championship final, while Loyola Marymount has captured third place each year. In 2001, Brown fell to LMU in the consolation game, while Michigan did the same last year. This year, the Hoosiers followed suit as Indiana fell 5-2 to LMU in the consolation game.

The Hoosiers (26-11) did not lose though. They won, and here's why.

Indiana gave the 1,307 fans in attendance a reminder. They gave them a reminder of how East Coast water polo is improving and is now at the level to challenge the top teams in the country.

Sure it may bother the Hoosiers a little that the respect from the media isn't there. This whole weekend, it appeared the only red and white that the Hoosiers wore, was a bullseye on their suits.

You have to wonder what goes through the mind of a young woman who is having the time of her life, with an Indiana team that is battling against talent for next year's Olympic squad, yet forced to read and hear that they don't belong.

Indiana rose from their Doubletree beds to the morning daily, offering advice that IU only had a shot to compete if the opponent's goal was moved to North Dakota.

But these young women realize that media coverage doesn't come their way very often, and when it does, it is usually by a reporter who has never reported anything on water polo.

So, why listen? Heck, why read? Just go out and play like who you are...the only way you know how to play. Like champions.

While Indiana allowed just five goals to the No. 5 team in the nation, the Hoosiers made sure that everyone saw and remembered both of theirs.

With just one minute expired in the first quarter, senior Ginger Wang took a Krista Peterson pass and lobbed it over Loyola Marymount's Rachel Riddell for the first goal of the game.

Wang's goal marked the first time in school history, Indiana held the lead at the NCAA Championships, and only the second time in NCAA Championship history, that a team from the East held the lead.

Each individual, with exception of LMU fans, rose to their feet, applauding the Cream and Crimson. Was this the year? Could this be the year of the East?

And before Indiana scored, IU also treated water polo fans to some of the best defense in the country. The Hoosiers constantly pushed the LMU offense out near the middle of the pool near eight meters. LMU could not generate any offense and was often forced to dump the ball before the shot clock expired.

IU freshman Emily Schmitt was ejected for 20 seconds at the 6:42 mark in the first, allowing LMU to try to capitalize on the man-up advantage. But Indiana kept pushing. And pushing. And pushing.

The Hoosiers forced the Lion's turnover, took the lead with Wang's goal, and maintained the 1-0 lead until the 1:21 mark of the second period.

LMU scored on a 6-on-5 advantage, after Indiana's Bridget McKeon was kicked out.

In Saturday's semi-final against Stanford, the Hoosiers lacked response to their opponents charge in the third quarter, and did so yet again in Sunday's game. LMU came out quickly to take their first lead of the game, scoring at the 6:31 and then again at 5:44.

The Hoosier defense did return as demanded by King, but the IU offense remained unlucky with many shots careening off the side posts and crossbar.

King called for Indiana's second timeout at the 1:31 mark in the third quarter, when the Hoosiers went a man up off a LMU ejection. Peterson fired hard off the side post, but the ball still rebounded Indiana's way. The Hoosiers still could not put the ball in the back of the net, but LMU could.

The Lions would score the first two goals of the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 5-1 over IU.

But just as the outcome became realization, Peterson fired back with a goal at the 2:50 mark to put the Hoosiers down three.

Not only did the fans in attendance witness first-hand the Hoosiers' "never quit" attitude, but they also saw a passing of the torch. The torch passed from senior Kristin Stanford to the younger Peterson. It was almost as if it was said, "I helped get us here throughout my career, you help get us back."

Fittingly, both Stanford and Peterson were awarded NCAA All-Tournament honors, with Peterson earning first-team accolades, while Stanford was named to the second-team.

Of the Hoosiers four goals for the tournament, Peterson scored three and assisted on the other.

And perhaps one of the most moving moments of Sunday's game, was in the pre-game introduction with the recognition of Indiana's four seniors: Stanford, Wang, Sarah Butler and Jamie Marley. Each Hoosier senior missed Saturday's graduation ceremony back in Bloomington, but was able to walk through a much more meaningful ceremony at UC-San Diego. Fans acknowledged the four seniors who donned graduation gowns over their crimson swimsuits, by applauding and even some rising to the their feet.

Clearly the most successful season in Indiana water polo history, the Hoosiers finished the year 26-11 and have a fourth-place NCAA trophy to nestle among the numerous men's and women's swimming awards at the Counsilman/Billingsley Aquatics Center on campus.

Maybe the sixth-year Hoosier coach put it best when he referred to the NCAA trophy has just a small token to what IU had accomplished in 2003.

It was the effort, the work, the blood, the sweat, and even the tears.

It was the busted noses, blackened eyes, and dislocated jaws.

It was the 6:00 a.m. workouts and the practices that lasted until 6:00 p.m.

But most of all for these champions...

It was fun.

It was most definitely fun.