Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Travels to NCAAs
5/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
2003 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
vs. No. 1 Stanford
May 10 • 1:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. CT)
0-2 All-Time
Last: 2/9/03, L, 15-3
1st or 3rd Place Game
vs. UCLA
Never Played
vs. Loyola Marymount
0-4 All-Time
Last: 3/20/03, L, 12-3
Getting Things Started
The Indiana University women's water polo team (26-9, 7-1) will compete in its 10th week of competition, May 10-11, as the No. 9 Hoosiers compete in their first ever NCAA Championships.
The event will be held at the Canyonview Pool on the campus of UC-San Diego in La Jolla, Calif.
The first National Semifinal, at 1:30 PM on Saturday, May 10, will feature top-seeded defending national champion Stanford University (20-2) against fourth seed Indiana. The second National Semifinal will follow at 3:00 PM between two seed UCLA (21-4) and third-seeded Loyola Marymount University (23-8).
The Consolation Game is set for 1:30 PM on Sunday, May 11, with the Championship Game beginning at 3:00 PM.
Barry King Live...
"Easterns was an unbelievable team performance that culminated a season of hard work and dedication. Earning this trip to the NCAA Championships was our goal from the beginning. This is what we worked for. Now, it is important for us to go out there mentally and physically focused on the task at hand. Stanford, UCLA, and LMU are three of the best teams in the nation. We will have to play are two best games of the year this weekend."
Listen to the Final Four LIVE!!!
The NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship Semi-Final and Final matches will be broadcast LIVE on the internet at NCAAsports.com. The championship will be held May 10 (Semi-Finals) and 11 (Final and Third Place Game) at the Canyonview Pool in La Jolla, California. The Semi-Final match-ups have Stanford taking on Indiana at 4:30 p.m. (ET) and Loyola Marymount against UCLA at 6 p.m. (ET). The University of California, San Diego will serve as the host institution.
How They Got to the Final Four
The then-No. 13 Hoosiers earned the elusive East Coast bid to the NCAA Final Four by winning the CWPA Eastern Division Championships two weeks ago.
IU opened with a 9-6 win against George Washington, followed by a dominant 5-1 victory over Princeton. The Hoosiers then defeated Brown, 7-5, in the final game and earned their first ever bid to the NCAA Finals.
"Nothing But Your Best..."
In late March, Indiana head coach Barry King invited another Hoosier coach to speak to the then-16-8 Hoosiers as they entered their final stage of their season.
IU Men's Soccer coach Jerry Yeagley, a five-time National Coach of the Year, spoke with the water polo team for nearly 20 minutes, refocusing the Hoosiers on their run to their first NCAA Appearance.
Yeagley was certainly a valid speaker, as he has won five NCAA Championships while at Indiana.
"From here on out, nothing but your best is acceptable," he said. He also noted that water polo has done nothing but add to the success of IU athletics. "The success of the water polo team has greatly contributed to the success of our athletics department. Keep your heads high, and continue to wear Indiana on your suits with pride. Ladies, we are all very proud of you of what you have done so far."
Since the speech, Indiana has gone 10-1 and earned its first bid to the NCAAs.
Looking For Win No. 27
Indiana's 26-9 record this year ties the school record for most wins in a season. In 1998, the Hoosiers' first varsity season which was played against many club teams, IU finished the season 26-9-1.
Can You Take Me Higher...
Indiana once again continued to climb in the polls this week, marking the highest rankings ever in school history. The Hoosiers leaped from 13th to a tie for ninth this week in the national polls released on April 30. IU also earned the No. 1 rank in the CWPA conference poll. The 100 points that the Hoosiers received are also a school record.
I Wish They All Could Be...
Of Indiana's 14 student-athletes on the 2003 roster, six are from the state of California.
The six California Hoosiers comprise of: senior Ginger Wang (Rowland Heights); sophomore Jessica Goldner (Los Altos Hills); and freshmen Courtney Livak (San Jose), Bridget McKeon (Coronado), Clare Meadows (Mission Viejo), and Courtney Thom (San Clemente).
Hoosiers Hit the Outdoor Pool
Since earning the East Coast bid to the NCAA Championships two weeks ago, the Indiana University women's water polo team has been actively preparing for their final two games
Head coach Barry King and the Hoosiers have been splitting practice time between their home in the Counsilman/Billingsley Aquatics Center and the IU Outdoor Pool. Since both games at the NCAA Championships will be played in UC-San Diego's Canyonview Pool, the Hoosiers have been able to practice under similar conditions to what they will see this week.
"When playing outside, you have to take into consideration the wind and the sun," said Indiana head coach Barry King. "The transition from inside to outside is a lot more difficult than outside to inside."
And for the majority of the two weeks that the Hoosiers have been outside, the spring weather in Bloomington has been fairly cooperative. Indiana has been practicing under the 70-degree sun, while the Hoosiers have also gotten the chance to add some color to their skin as well.
"The weather has seemed to cooperate for us this week," King said. "It was nice to get outside and practice. A little wind can change the nature of the game, so that's why it was so important for us to do this."
Hoosiers Win CWPA Easterns
For the first time in the six-year history of the Indiana University water polo program, the Hoosiers won the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championships and earned the coveted east-coast berth to the NCAA Final Four.
No. 13 Indiana defeated Brown in the championship final, 7-5, with impressive performances from Krista Peterson and Jessica Goldner.
Peterson scored five of the Hoosiers seven goals and earned the Eastern Championships MVP award for her efforts.
Goldner, who had a school-record tying performance against Princeton Saturday night in the semi-finals, stopped 11-of-19 shots, including many tough blocks down the stretch.
More on Goldner vs. Princeton
Although sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Goldner was named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division second-team, she turned in a first team All-American-type performance in the Hoosiers' Eastern Championship semifinal against Princeton.
Goldner, who dominated Princeton two weeks prior in the divisional semi-finals, turned in a school record performance in the Hoosiers' 5-1 win against the Tigers on Saturday.
Goldner tied a school record with 19 saves on 24 shots, a remarkable .792 save percentage against the 14th-ranked team in the nation.
Hoosiers Pick Up Hardware
At the annual Collegiate Water Polo Association's Eastern Championships Banquet on April 25, three Hoosiers were recognized for their excellence throughout this year's season.
Senior All-American Kristin Stanford and sophomore Krista Peterson, each garnered first-team All-Southern Division accolades, while sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Goldner was named to the second-team.
For Stanford, this season's laurel marks the third consecutive first-team honor for the Cincinnati, Ohio, native. Peterson and Goldner each earned their first CWPA postseason honor that Friday.
Records Set at Southerns
In true All-American fashion, senior Kristin Stanford has turned in another stellar season. Stanford, Indiana's all-time scoring leader, has netted an Indiana record six goals in a game twice this year, and broke her own single-season scoring record for the third time in her career with 73 goals this year.
Stanford scored her record-breaking 67th goal in the Hoosiers 15-5 win over Villanova.
Sophomore Krista Peterson also set the school record for scoring, when she netted six goals against Villanova.
The Portland, Ore., native ties the record for most goals in a game -- a mark that has been reached six times, including four by Stanford.
Marley Kicked Out of Southerns
Senior Jamie Marley was able to enjoy the Hoosiers' first NCAA bid in the pool at the Eastern Championships, but her playing status entering the tournament was questionable.
Marley sustained a kick to the mouth against Michigan at the CWPA Southern Division Championships, and needed assistance getting out of the pool.
X-rays at a nearby Lewisburg, Pa., hospital were inconclusive, and more tests were needed at Bloomington Hospital upon the Hoosiers return.
Eventually, Marley was cleared the weekend prior to Easterns by an oral surgeon back in her hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich., and returned to the Hoosier squad later that week.
Shutting Out The Opponents
While it took five years of varsity competition for the Hoosiers to shutout their opponents (Cal-Baptist, 7-0 last year), Indiana has now recorded three shutouts this season.
Indiana is coming off a 14-0 shutout against Grove City at the CWPA Southern Division Championships. Last month, IU blanked Washington & Jefferson 14-0 at the CWPA Weekend, and stopped LaVerne over Spring Break, 13-0.
King Notches Win No. 125
With a 15-4 victory over Gannon at the second CWPA Weekend, Indiana head coach Barry King captured his 125th win of his career. King, the lone coach in Hoosier water polo history, also coached in his 200th career game against Grove City, and now posts a 132-73-2 (.638) career coaching record.
Hoosiers Get 20th Win
Indiana defeated Grove City 12-1 in the final game of the second of two CWPA Weekends, marking the Hoosiers' 20th win of the season. Indiana has now eclipsed the 20-win plateau in five of its six varsity seasons
Peterson Top-Five in Scoring
In just two years, sophomore Krista Peterson has become a true scoring threat for the Hoosiers.
With 108 goals in her career, Peterson has scored 54 goals in each of her two seasons and is fifth all-time in career scoring. She is 12 goals shy of fourth-place Molly Fonner's 120, and 28 shy of third-place Kristen Carpenter.
Currently, Peterson is second on the team in scoring with 54 goals.
Wang Stealing Her Way Up Chart
This year, senior Ginger Wang has turned in the best single-season steal performance since Deb Simone's 86 steals in 2000.
Currently, Wang is tied with Sheri Fagley, as their 63 seals are seventh-best all-time.
Meadows Steals The Show
Freshman Clare Meadows literally stole the show, concluding the first CWPA Weekend for the Hoosiers against Washington & Jefferson. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native tied a school record with nine steals, marking the first time a Hoosier as accomplished the feat since Kara Fellerhoff in April of 1999. The nine-steal mark has now been reach four times in the six years of the program.
Hoosiers Hit The Bullseye
IU hit the big "20" in the first CWPA Weekend against Mercyhurst, tying the school record for most goals in a game.
Clare Meadows scored with 0:00 left in the game to net the Hoosiers' 20th goal.
This marks the third time IU has hit 20 goals - the other two were remarkably on the same date, April 4, 1998. IU defeated Ohio, 20-1 and Notre Dame, 20-3.
That's Two In The Top Ten
Indiana's 9-7 victory over No. 10 UC-Santa Barbara at the Princeton Invitational marked only the second time in school history the Hoosiers defeated a top-ten team.
IU topped its first top-ten opponent, No. 7 San Jose State, earlier this year at the Michigan Invitational by a score of 10-8.
Nice While It Lasted
Indiana's nine-game win streak was ended by Michigan in a heartbreaking overtime loss at the CWPA Weekend. The streak had been the best stretch for the Hoosiers since 2000, when they won 11 games straight.
Blood, Sweat, And Tears
At the first CWPA Weekend in Michigan, Indiana's Krista Peterson had quite the adventure. The sophomore from Portland, Ore., played her first two games scoring five goals on seven shots. She also recorded an assist and a steal, while only committing one turnover.
Against Michigan, Peterson took an elbow to the mouth at the end of the third quarter and was forced to leave. She did not return.
Peterson was examined by the medical staff after the game and was given treatment to a cut under her right eye, and two stitches to her upper lip. She did not play in the final game that weekend against Washington & Jefferson.
All By Herself
Sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Goldner has found 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 competed 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.
Red, White, Blue...And Gold
This past summer, Indiana's Krista Peterson participated for Team USA at the 2002 Pan American Junior Water Polo Championships in Boca Raton, Fla. The games served as a qualifier for the 2003 Junior World Championships.
Peterson, a native of Portland, Ore., scored six goals in five games. She led Team USA in their first match with two goals in an 8-2 victory over Canada and also netted a goal against Puerto Rico in a 19-2 win. In the win over Mexico 21-3, Peterson was one of 11 different U.S. players to score for Team USA, finding the back of the net twice for her fourth and fifth goals of the tournament.
Peterson netted one goal as the U.S. junior team concluded its sweep at the Pan Am Games, downing Canada 7-5 in the gold-medal game to secure a berth at next year's FINA Junior World Championships.
"It was a great experience to take home the gold medal," said Peterson. "Representing our country and being at the closing ceremonies when we were presented our gold medals, are memories that I will never forget."
