Hoosiers Open Season at Michigan<br> - Indiana University Athletics

Hoosiers Open Season at Michigan

1/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo

Bloomington, Ind. -- The No. 9 Indiana water polo will open the 2004 season at the Michigan Invitational on Jan. 24-25. The Hoosiers' schedule at the Invite will not be an easy one with three ranked opponents on the slate. IU will open with No. 14 UC-San Diego at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday morning before facing rival and No. 10 Michigan at 5:00 p.m. Despite being ranked ahead of the Wolverines in the National Poll, the Hoosiers are ranked second behind Michigan in the CWPA Conference Poll.

The Hoosiers will face No. 17 Arizona on day two of the Michigan Invite at 10:30 a.m. Although it will not count toward their season record, the Hoosiers will face a club team, Michigan State, at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday. The Spartans finished last season ranked No. 2 in the club poll.

For Complete Indiana Water Polo Notes Click HERE.

How They Have Fared

Indiana will look for its first victory over UC-San Diego. In three matches, the Tritons have come out victorious. Last season, the Hoosiers lost a 9-4 match at UC-San Diego. It will be the first match up between the two teams at neutral site.

UC-San Diego 0-3
Last Three:
3/14/03 L 9-4 A
2/9/02 L 9-5 A
2/13/99 L 5-3 A

The Hoosiers have struggled against Michigan in recent history. Michigan has won 12-straight against IU. Although the wins have go to Michigan, the matches have been extremely heated; included in those 12 matches are five overtime matches. In the semifinals of the Eastern Championships in 2002, the two teams played one of the most memorable collegiate water polo matches. The Wolverines ended up the victor in the a back-and-forth five overtime affair, 8-7.

Michigan 5-22-2
Last Five:
4/13/03 L 6-2 N
3/8/03 L 9-7 (OT) A
1/25/03 L 14-7 A
4/27/02 L 8-7 (5OT) N
4/20/02 L 11-7 N

Last season was the first match upbetween Arizona State and Indiana. The Hoosiers downed the Sun Devils, 8-5 in Tempe.

Arizona State 1-0
Last:
3/18/03 W 8-5 A

Indiana is a perfect 18-0 against Michigan State. The Hoosiers knocked off the Spartans last season at the Michigan Invitational, 14-7

Michigan State 18-0
Last Five:
1/25/03 W 14-7 N
1/27/02 W 13-4 N
3/31/01 W 11-3 H
2/18/01 W 9-3 N
4/15/00 W 8-4 N

Barry King said...

On the Michigan Invitational:

"It is always a test for us going up to Michigan to start the season. This weekend gives us a barometer of where we are and what we really need to work on as a team. UC-San Diego is a traditional power, and Arizona State is a much improved team that finished last season ranked in the top 20. Then there is Michigan. They are our rival, and it is always a very competitive and intense match."

Returning All-American

Junior Krista Peterson will be called on to shoulder more of the load in 2004. The Portland, Ore., native was one of only nine players outside the state of California to earn All-America honors in 2003. Last season, she scored 61 goals, dished out 30 assists and had 34 steals.

Not only was Peterson an All-American, but she also became the first Eastern player to earn first-team All-NCAA Championships. She scored three of the Hoosiers' four goals at the Final Four. Peterson had a big hand in Indiana advancing to the Final Four. At the CWPA Eastern Championships, she scored nine goals, including five in the Championship against Brown, on her way to earning Most Valuable Player honors.

All-Conference Success

Juniors Krista Peterson and Jessica Goldner return after garnering All-CWPA Southern Division honors in 2003. Peterson was a first-team selection, while Goldner was the second team goalkeeper. Both players were also recognized on the All-Eastern Championship squad with Peterson on the first team and Goldner on the second.

Over the Hoosiers' three seasons in the CWPA, IU has had seven all-conference selections, six All-Eastern Championship choices and 14 CWPA All-Academic team members. Last season, IU had three All-Conference and three All-Eastern Championship selections, which were the most CWPA selections in a season for the Hoosiers.

Record Breaking Performances

The Hoosiers saw all four single game records eclipsed or equaled in 2003. The single game goals, steals, saves and shots against records were all tied or bettered last year.

The single game goals mark was equaled on three occasions last season. Former Hoosier All-American Kristin Stanford tied the six goals in a game mark against San Jose State and UC-Santa Barbara. Junior Krista Peterson was the last to equal the mark; scoring six goals in a Southern Divisional Game win over Villanova.

Sophomore Clare Meadows equaled the singles games steals mark, a record that had not been equaled since 1999. Meadows registered nine steals in the Hoosiers' win over Washington and Jefferson.

Junior goalkeeper Jessica Goldner bettered the single game shots against record and equaled the single game saves record. Against San Jose State in February of 2003, Goldner faced 30 shots, bettering the school record of 29. She had equaled the 29 shots against record earlier that day against California. In the semifinals of the Eastern Championships, Goldner turned in a record-tying performance as she had 19 saves against Princeton to help IU to a 5-1 victory. For the year, Goldner had four games of 15 or more saves.

Moving up the Charts

A number of current Hoosiers sit in the top 10 of the career goals and assists lists. Junior Krista Peterson has scored 111 career goals and is currently in sixth. By the end of 2004, she has the opportunity to move into second place all-time. Deb Simone is second on the list with 139 goals, only 28 ahead of Peterson.

Seniors Melissa Pietras and Kristy Streefkerk are both just outside the top 10. Pietras is currently 10th with 78 career goals, while Streefkerk is 13th with 54 career goals.

Pietras and Peterson both rank in the top 10 in career assists. Pietras is sixth with 66 assists, while Peterson is tied for ninth with 60.

Junior goalkeeper Jessica Goldner could soon etch her name atop the career shots against and saves list at IU. She is currently second in both categories, trailing Kirsten Mayberry in both. Goldner has 433 career saves behind Mayberry's 666 (a difference of 233). Goldner also has faced 954 career shots, 386 shots behind Mayberry.

Facing Ranked Opponents

Once again the Hoosiers schedule is loaded with ranked opponents. Aside from the postseason, the Hoosier schedule could include as many as 12 ranked opponents depending on what occurs at the UCSD Arena Invitational. The Hoosiers hit the ground running at the Michigan Invitational, facing three teams ranked among the top 20 in No. 10 Michigan, No. 14 UC-San Diego and No. 17 Arizona State. Although the game does not count toward IU's record, the Hoosiers will also face Michigan State, which finished last year ranked second among club teams at the Michigan Invite.

Last season, the Hoosiers knocked off 11 ranked opponents in 21 matches. IU also knocked off its first top 10 opponents in 2003. The Hoosiers downed then-No. 7 San Jose State at the Michigan Invitational. IU picked up its second top 10 win by beating then-No. 10 UC-Santa Barbara for the Princeton Invitational title.

National Players

The Hoosiers have a trio of National team players this season. Junior Krista Peterson was a member 2002 Junior US team that won the gold medal at the Junior Pan American Games. She was also an alternate for the 2003 US Junior National Team at the Junior Worlds. Peterson scored seven goals in five games with the US Junior National Team at the 2002 Pan American Games.

A pair of Hoosier newcomers, freshmen Kristin Zernicke and Janis Pardy, are members of the Canadian Junior National team. The duo helped the Canadian team to the 2003 Junior World Championship Gold Medal. They also played on the silver medal Junior Pan Am team in 2002.

Senior Leaders

The Hoosiers only have two seniors on the 2004 roster. Two-meter defender Kristy Streefkerk and driver Melissa Pietras will be looked upon to provide leadership to a team that includes eight freshmen and four sophomores.

Over their three-year careers, the senior duo has helped lead the Hoosiers to a 65-37-1 record, including a 20-4 mark in the Southern Division of the CWPA. In their first three years, the Hoosiers played in the CWPA's Southern Divisions, but with realignment in 2004, the Hoosiers are part of the Western Division.