Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Wagner (Fluid Five Challenge)
Soria Powers Hoosiers Past Wagner, Marist at Fluid Five
3/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 26, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Junior Melissa Soria turned in two of the best performances of her IU career with nine goals in two matches as the No. 17 Indiana women's water polo defeated Wagner, 13-9, and Marist, 12-6, on day two of the Fluid Five Challenge at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Hoosiers ran their winning streak to four matches and have won 13 of their last 14 matches. IU stands at 17-8 on the year with the pair of victories.
"I was pleased with the way we played today," Indiana head coach Barry King said. "After such a tough and emotional match like we had against Michigan on Saturday night, it was important for the ladies to come out and take care of business today, and I felt like they did that. We are hitting the stretch run of the season and the postseason is a month away. We need to keep working hard and make sure we are firing on all cylinders come the championship season."
In the second match of the day against Marist, Soria turned in a five-goal performance to lead the way for IU. The Villa Park, Calif., native notched a hat trick in the opening period of play on the way to her fourth hat trick of the season and career-high five markers. It was the 17th time in IU history that a play scored five goals in a game.
"Melissa was exceptional in these matches," Indiana head coach Barry King said. "She has really been coming into her own as of late. She is gaining confidence with each game, and it was good to see her finishing as well as she did against Marist and Wagner. We expect big things from her, and she is delivering."
Marist scored first with a goal on its opening possesion, before Soria scored back-to-back goals, including the second one with 3:14 remaining in the period to give IU the lead for good. Marist pulled even on a goal by Katelin McCahill, before Soria struck again to put IU back on top 3-2.
Senior Clare Meadows lobbed in a shot from the left side of the pool to give Indiana a 4-3 with 1:44 left in the first period. Senior Janis Pardy made a steal on the defensive end with Marist on the man-advantage with less than 20 second remaining in the period. Pardy found junior Brooke Zimmerman down the right side of the pool, and Zimmerman scored into the left corner of the net with just four seconds showing on the first-period clock.
Neither team found the scoring column in the second period, but another McCahill goal to start the third period drew the Red Foxes back within one at 5-4 with 6:20 showing on the clock. The Hoosiers rebounded and ended the period on a five-goal run to push the cushion to 10-4. Soria responded to the Marist tally with a backhand shot from the post off a dish from Zimmerman at the six-minute mark.
With the shot clock running down, Pardy pumped the goalkeeper up and then lobbed a shot past her with 3:26 remaining in the third to give IU a 7-4 lead. Zimmerman once again found Soria in the post for a backhand shot to make it 8-4 just under a minute later. Zimmerman then found Pardy on the break to push the lead to five at 9-4 for the first time on the day. Zimmerman notched her second tally of the game with just 47 seconds remaining in the third for a 10-4 IU lead.
Each team notched a pair of goals in the fourth and final period for the 12-6 margin. Zimmerman notched her 10th hat trick of the season with a goal at the 4:19 mark before sophomore Linda Calvert scored less than a minute later for the Hoosiers 12th and final goal.
As a team, the Hoosiers turned in a solid defensive performance as they notched 20 steals for the third time this season. Meadows finished with a team-high six steals against Marist, while Zimmerman added four steals and a career-high four assists.
Against Wagner in the opener of the day, the Hoosiers raced out to an early 2-0 lead. Soria notched the first tally of the contest with the Hoosiers on the power play at the 5:50 mark of the first period. Pardy followed that with a goal 34 seconds later to put IU on top, 2-0. Junior Kristin Zernicke and Pardy would answer Wagner goals to end the opening eight minutes with IU on top 4-2. Pardy scored her second goal of the period with 47 second remaining.
Like it had in the first period, IU scored the first two markers of the second period to push its advantage to four. Zimmerman scored in transition with a minute expired in the second, before Meadows scored from the perimeter with the Hoosiers on the man-advantage.
After Wagner halted the three-goal run with a tally on the ensuing possession, the Hoosiers extend the lead to five with the final two goals of the half. Soria notched both goals in the post for IU and sent the Hoosiers to the locker room with an 8-3 cushion.
The Seahawks drew back to within four on the first goal of the second half, but Zimmerman pushed the IU lead to its largest at six. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada native scored a pair of goals in a 35-second span and tallied the Hoosiers a 10-4 advantage. Wagner answered back with a goal at the five-minute mark of the third period following Zimmerman's tallies. The goal by the Seahawks' Anne Wolkerhauer started a three-goal spurt for Wagner. Following an Alexandra Tomlinson goal on the break with 44 seconds remaining in the third, Wagner pulled within three at 10-7.
Indiana rebounded with a goal 16 seconds in the final period and ran away with the victory. Pardy dumped the ball to Soria in the post, and the junior transfer spun around her defender in the post. Soria then faked the goalkeeper and scored into the right side of the net to give IU an 11-7 lead. Pardy notched a mark 2:30 later to garner the third IU hat trick of the contest as the lead jumped back to five, 12-7. Wagner added a pair of late goals before Calvert capped the scoring with 30 seconds remaining on a goal in the post.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Pyrz fell one save short of equaling her career high as she finished with 14 stops versus the Red Foxes. Zimmerman added a team-high four steals to go along with her hat trick, while Zernicke led IU with two assists. Zernicke and Soria both drew a pair of ejections to give IU power-play opportunities.
The Hoosiers will close out the regular-season slate at the UC-Davis Shootout, April 8-9. IU will open up with a 12:05 p.m. contest with Cal State-San Bernardino before battling Colorado State at 5:30 p.m. on April 8. Indiana will face a pair of ranked foes on April 9. The Hoosiers will face No. 4 Loyola Marymount at 2:15 p.m. and then square off with No. 20 Santa Clara at 6:35 p.m.
Players Mentioned
