Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Host CWPA Eastern Championship
8/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
Apr. 27, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - For the first time in school history, the No. 10 Indiana water polo team enters the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championship as the top seed. The Cream and Crimson will host the championship for the first time as well on April 30 and May 1 in the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Hoosiers will look for their second Eastern Championship in three seasons. Indiana captured the 2003 title with a 6-5 victory over Brown.
The eight teams in the Championship were selected as a result of the Division Championships and at-large bids. Michigan and Indiana earned the two bids from the West as the top two finishers at the Division Championship. Princeton and Bucknell earned the Southern Division berths, while Hartwick and Brown were the North Division representatives. Harvard of the Northern Division and George Washington of the Southern Division were the at-large selections.
Each of the last two seasons, the second-seeded team has won the conference title. In 2003, Indiana was the second seed, while last season Hartwick was No. 2. The last top seed to win the Eastern Championship was Michigan in 2002.
Eastern Championship Tickets
Tickets for the Eastern Championship will be available at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on the days of competition. Prices are $15 for the entire Championship, and $10 for a single-day pass. IU students, faculty and staff are 50% off, while children 12-and-under are free.
Seeds and Schedule
1st Seed - Indiana University
2nd Seed - University of Michigan
3rd Seed - Princeton University
4th Seed - Hartwick College
5th Seed - Harvard University
6th Seed - Brown University
7th Seed - Bucknell University
8th Seed - George Washington University
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Game
1 - Indiana vs. George Washington - 9 a.m.
2 - Hartwick vs. Harvard - 10:30 a.m.
3 - Michigan vs. Bucknell - 12 p.m.
4 - Princeton vs. Brown - 1:30 p.m.
5 - Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 1 - 4 p.m.
6 - Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 - 5:30 p.m.
7 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 7 p.m.
8 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 - 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Game
7th Place - Loser of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 5 - 9 a.m.
5th Place - Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 - 10:30 a.m.
3rd Place - Loser of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 7 - 12 p.m.
Championship - Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 - 1:30 p.m.
Western Division Championship Recap
The Hoosiers' dramatic comeback against Michigan in the Western Division Championship game came up just short, 11-10, in overtime. Indiana advanced to the finals with 16-1 and 15-1 victories over Grove City and Washington & Jefferson, respectively.
The Wolverines led by as many as five midway through the third period. The Hoosiers rallied scoring six of the games final seven goals in regulation to force overtime. Senior Kandace Waldthaler drew a four-meter penalty with less than a minute to go and converted the shot to force overtime. The rally fell short, as Michigan scored two in the first of two three-minute overtime periods. IU drew within one in the final overtime period after a 6-on-5 goal by senior Krista Peterson.
Waldthaler finished with her 13th career hat trick, while junior Janis Pardy and freshman Carolyn Conway each had two markers. Sophomore Kristin Zernicke added a career-best four assists in the loss as well.
Conway equaled a career-high with five goals in IU's 16-1 win over Grove City. Waldthaler also added a hat trick in the win. Against Washington & Jefferson, the Hoosiers used a balanced attack with seven players scored two goals in the 15-1 victory. Peterson, Waldthaler, freshman Brittany Estrada, sophomore Claire Nicholson, junior Bridget McKeon, freshman Linda Calvert and junior Janis Pardy each had two goals in the win.
Home Marks
The Hoosiers are 31-10-1 (.750) all-time at the Counsilman-Billingsely Aquatic Center. Currently, IU is a perfect 3-0 at home in 2005. Indiana will look for only its third undefeated season at home since the program's inception in 1998. IU went 8-0-1 at home in their first varsity season. The last time IU won the Eastern Championship in 2003, the Hoosiers were a perfect 2-0 at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
Hoosiers History at the Eastern Championships
Since joining the Collegiate Water Polo Association in 2001, the Hoosiers are 9-4 at the Eastern Championship. The Cream and Crimson have placed in the top three each of the last three seasons.
In 2002, the Hoosiers lost an epic five-overtime match to Michigan, before knocking Princeton in the third-place match. Indiana won its first Eastern title in 2003, defeating Princeton, 5-1, in the semifinals and Brown, 7-5, in the finals. Last season, the Hoosiers fell to Hartwick in the semifinals, 6-5, before ending the season on a high note with a 9-4 victory over Brown.
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 school-record five top-10 opponents this season. The group of foes 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 west coast 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.
- The Hoosiers will host the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championship for the first time in the school's annals. IU is set to host the Championship, April 30-May 1, in the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
- Indiana will enter the CWPA Eastern Championship as the top seed. It is the first time the Hoosiers have earned that distinction after entering the Championship seeded third in 2004, second in 2003 and fifth in 2002.
Single Season Record Books
A quartet of Hoosiers moved into the top 10 on single season lists in 2005. Senior Krista Peterson moved into a tie for eighth place with her 51 goals on the season. Junior Janis Pardy and sophomore Kristin Zernicke both moved into the top 10 in single season assists. Pardy's 36 assists in 2005 is tied for fourth on the list, while Zernicke's 30 helpers is tied for eighth. Senior Jessica Goldner, IU's all-time saves leader, moved into the top four on the single season list with her 205 saves on the year. Goldner's last three seasons for IU ranks second, third and fourth on the single season list.
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. IU is currently 22-9 this season.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.
