Indiana University Athletics
Western Division Championship
4/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
The Hoosiers will open the division championship with Grove City. The Lady Wolverines went 0-7 during the regular season in the division, including a 17-4 setback at the hands of Indiana. The winner of the Indiana-Grove City matchup will face the winner of the 4-5 game between the fourth-seeded Mercyhurst and the fifth-seeded Washington & Jefferson. The opposite side of the tournament tree features second-seeded and No. 11 ranked Michigan, along with third-seeded Gannon, sixth-seeded Slippery Rock and seventh-seeded Penn State-Erie The Behrend College.
Indiana opens the tournament at 5 p.m., on Friday, April 22. If the Hoosiers win, they would play at 12:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 23. The championship game is set for Saturday night at 8 p.m.
For complete Indiana Water Polo notes click HERE.
Looking at the Field
The Hoosiers were a perfect 7-0 during the regular season in the Western Division. Michigan finished at 6-1 in the division with its lone loss a 7-6 sudden victory defeat to IU in Ann Arbor. Gannon enters at 5-2 followed by Mercyhurst at 4-3, Washington & Jefferson at 3-4, Slippery Rock at 2-5, Penn State-Erie The Behrend College at 1-6 and Grove City at 0-7.
The Cream and Crimson are 8-0 all-time in the Grove City College Competition Pool, including a pair of wins this season.
On Grove City
Grove City enters the championship at 6-13 overall. The Lady Wolverines are led by fourth-year head coach Dave Fritz. The Hoosiers are 7-0 all-time against Grove City, including a 17-4 victory this season. Indiana has outscored Grove City 97-14 in those seven match ups.
The Hoosiers defeated Grove City in the opening round of the Western Division Championship a season ago, 12-3.
On Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst holds a 10-7 record on the season. The Lakers are led by third-year head coach Curtis Robinette. Mercyhurst is led in scoring by freshman driver Christine Somera with 38 goals and 22 assists on the season. Freshman two-meter Carrie Willison leads the Lakers in assists with 35 to go along with 22 goals. Junior driver Tessa DiLoretto has 30 goals and nine assists on the year, while junior utility Cassie Rand has 26 goals and 24 assists. Freshman goalkeeper Gina Mieras has played every minute between the pipes for the Lakers, making 198 saves, while allowing 132 goals. The Hoosiers are 4-0 all-time against Mercyhurst, including a 16-4 win this season. In those four meetings, IU has outscored the Lakers, 66-12.
On Washington & Jefferson
The Washington & Jefferson Presidents are 6-6 on the year. The Hoosiers defeated the Presidents, 17-2, at Grove City earlier this season. IU is 6-0 all-time against Washington & Jefferson, outscoring them 98-9. The Presidents are led by second-year head coach Bob Filander.
Senior Deidre Sandrock leads the Presidents in nearly every category with 19 goals, 19 assists, 22 steals and 26 drawn ejections. Sophomore Dawn Jackson ranks second with 16 goals, 13 assist and 20 steals. Junior Ryann Franklin, junior Katie Cieslik and sophomore Brandi Shoupe round out the Presidents' double-digit scorers with 15 goals apiece. Cieslik is also tied with Jackson for second on the team in steals with 20. Sophomore goalkeeper Kim Sawlsville has seen the majority of the time in net for Washington & Jefferson making 106 saves and allowing 86 goals.
On Slippery Rock Slippery Rock, led by eighth-year head coach Jim Yeamans, went 13-18 during the 2005 regular season. The Hoosiers are 7-0 all-time against Slippery Rock, including a 19-6 victory earlier this season. IU is averaging more than 16 goals a game over the last six matches against The Rock.
Sophomore Erika Brunner leads The Rock in goals (67), assists (33) and steals (58). Sophomore Amanda Zychowski ranks second on the team in each category with 34 goals, 26 assists and 28 steals. Freshman Beth Choike ranks third on the team in goals with 23, while fellow classmate Rachelle Stice is third in steals with 43. Freshman goalkeeper Amanda Miller has seen the majority of the action between the pipes for Slippery Rock, making 169 saves.
On Penn State-Erie The Behrend College
Penn State-Erie The Behrend College enters the championship at 5-15. The Behrend Lions are led by second-year head coach Joe Tristan. The Hoosiers are 6-0 against the Behrend Lions all-time and have outscored them, 95-14, in those six meetings.
On Gannon
Gannon completed the 2005 regular season with a 13-3 record. Indiana is 7-0 all-time against Gannon, including an 11-4 victory this season. Gannon is led by Don Sherman in his fifth season at the helm. Since becoming a varsity program under Sherman in 2001, Gannon is 76-39.
Senior Amber Vereb leads Gannon in goals with 41 to go along with 20 assists and a team-high 24 ejections earned. Sophomore Katherine Buccerie ranks second on the team with 34 goals. Freshman Val Adams rounds out the top three in scoring with 26 markers. Senior Rishae Wood leads the team with 29 assists and ranks second in steals with 45. Senior goalkeeper Tara Skasik has 127 saves in net to go along with a team-best 49 steals, while allowing 67 goals.
On Michigan
Michigan enters the championship with a 22-12 mark, including wins in four of its last five matches. The Wolverines and Hoosiers have a long history, including meeting in the divisional championship game each of the last two seasons. U-M defeated IU, 5-4, in sudden victory during the 2004 Western Division title game. In 2003, the Wolverines knocked off the Hoosiers, 6-2, in the Southern Division title game. The CWPA realigned divisions following the 2003 season with IU and Michigan leaving the Southern to join the Western Division.
The Hoosiers defeated the Wolverines in a pair of thrillers earlier this season. IU defeated Michigan, 7-6, at the season-opening Michigan Invitational. The Cream and Crimson followed that up with a 7-6 sudden victory win over the Maize and Blue during the Western Division regular season affair. The two teams have played on 18 occasions over the last five years. When they get together, it is almost assured to be a great match. Seven of the last 18 matches have gone to overtime, with 12 of the last 18 being decided by two goals or less.
Sophomore Shana Welch leads Michigan with 71 goals on the season after scoring a school-record eight markers against Cal State-Bakersfield at the Long Beach State Invite. Senior Sheetal Narsai ranks second on the team in goals with 35 after notching her fifth hat trick of the season against Bakersfield. Junior Megan Hausmann is third on the team with 30 goals to go along with 22 assists. Senior goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong has played in 30 matches for the Maize and Blue. She has blocked 231 shots with a goals against average of 5.57. Michigan is led by head coach Matt Anderson in his third season at the helm. The Wolverines are 74-31 under Anderson.
Firsts in Hoosier History
The Indiana water polo team has been resetting the program's record book so far this season. Here is a look at some of the firsts for the program in 2005:
- Victories over then-No. 6 Cal and then-No. 7 Hawaii marked the first time in school history the Hoosiers defeated a pair of top-10 opponents in the same day.
- IU has defeated a program-best five top-10 opponents this season. The group of opponents includes then-No. 10 San Jose State on April 3, then-No. 10 San Diego State on Feb. 26, then-No. 6 California on Feb. 12, then-No. 9 Hawaii on Feb. 12 and then-No. 9 Michigan on Jan. 29.
-The win over California marks the highest-ranked opponent IU has defeated in the program's annals.
- The victories over Cal, San Diego State and Hawaii were the first for the Hoosiers against those western schools.
- The Cream and Crimson was ranked sixth in the Feb. 6 Women's Collegiate Top 20. It was the highest ranking in the program's history. Previously, the highest ranking the water polo program held was ninth on five separate occasions. The Hoosiers were ninth in the Jan. 21, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25 polls in 2004 as well as the April 30 and May 14 polls of 2003.
- The Hoosiers defeated then-No. 9 Michigan, 7-6, at the Michigan Invitational. It was the first victory over the Wolverines in their last 16 matches. The victory also was the first over Michigan since the Wolverines became a varsity program in 2001.
- Indiana captured its first regular season CWPA Western Division title on March 18. The Hoosiers defeated Michigan, 7-6, on a goal by junior Janis Pardy with 54 seconds remaining in the first sudden victory period.
Zernicke Earns Conference Weekly Honor
Sophomore Kristin Zernicke became the third Hoosier to earn Collegiate Water Polo Association Western Division Player of the Week honors with her selection on April 7. It is the first award of Zernicke's Hoosier career, joining seniors Kandance Waldthaler and Jessica Goldner as recipients this season.
Zernicke led the Hoosiers to a perfect 3-0 mark at the Fluid Five Challenge in Bloomington, Ind. , April 2-3. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada, product registered a pair of goals in victories over Colorado State (11-4), then-No. 14 UC-Davis (4-3) and then-No. 10 San Jose State. For the weekend, Zernicke was 6-of-8 shooting (.750) to go along with four assists, six steals and on drawn ejection.
Zernicke scored on her only two shots of the game in the opening half against the Colorado State Rams. She also added an assist in the victory. The sophomore attacker scored IU's first two goals in a 4-3 victory over No. 14 UC-Davis. She also added a team-high three steals in the win.
Against then-No. 10 San Jose State, Zernicke turned in another stellar performance, helping the Hoosiers avenge a 7-6 loss earlier this season to the Spartans. She finished with two goals to go along with a team-high three assists and three steals. Zernicke also drew an ejection in transition in the win. The victory over SJSU was the fifth over a top-10 opponent this season, marking a new school record.
20 wins the mark
For the seventh time in its eight-year existence, the Indiana water polo program eclipsed the 20-win plateau. With its three victories over Colorado State, UC-Davis and San Jose State at the 2005 Fluid Five Challenge, the Hoosiers improved to 20-8 on the year. The lone year IU failed to win 20 was 2001 when the Hoosiers finished 18-12-1.
The school record for wins is 26. Indiana won 26 matches in 1998 and 2003. The 2003 squad also was the first to win the CWPA and advance to an NCAA-sponsored Final Four. With the postseason remaining, the Hoosiers have an opportunity to equal or better the school mark.
