Indiana University
Cal State San Bernardino (UC-Davis Shootout)
Defense Leads Indiana Past Cal State-San Bernardino
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
April 8, 2006
DAVIS, Calif. - The No. 16 Indiana water polo team turned up the defensive pressure and received a pair of hat trick on its way to an easy 8-5 victory over Cal State-San Bernardino in the first game of the Davis Shootout on April 8. The Hoosier defense held the nation's fifth-ranked scoring offense nearly five goals below its season average. The Coyotes entered the game averaging 9.8 goals per contest. Juniors Brooke Zimmerman and Melissa Soria each recorded hat tricks in the victory for IU. The Hoosiers improved to 18-8 on the year with the win.
"The ladies turned in a solid team effort to start a four-match weekend," Indiana head coach Barry King said. "I felt like we played well defensively for the first three and a half quarters, and Jackie (Pyrz) played well for us in the cage. It is always nice to get the first one when we are on the road. We will be looking for more of the same the rest of the weekend."
After CSUSB scored with the six-on-five advantage a minute into the contest, the Hoosiers responded with six straight goals of the next three quarters to tally the victory. With 4:30 remaining in the first period, Zimmerman evened the contest as she scored from the top of the key into the right corner of the net off the dish from sophomore Brittany Estrada. Soria garnered her first tally of the contest with under a minute to play in the opening period, giving IU a 2-1 advantage at the first-period break. Senior Janis Pardy dumped the ball to Soria in the post, and the Villa Park, Calif., native spun while finishing into the left corner.
The Hoosiers extended the cushion to 5-1 with three unanswered second-period markers. The lead could have been more, but IU could not convert a pair of fastbreak opportunities early in the period. Indiana's first goal of the second frame came on the power play. After Estrada drew the ejection, Zimmerman found senior Clare Meadows on the left post. Meadows wrapped a shot into the far corner to give IU a 3-1 lead.
With just over a minute remaining in the first half, Soria notched her second goal of the game. Pardy dumped the ball in the post to Soria, who backhanded a shot past the CSUSB goalkeeper. On the ensuing IU possession, Zimmerman provided the final margin of the first half with a lob shot from eight meters that found the back of the net with 32 second remaining.
Soria recorded her third straight hat trick with the first goal of the second half. Senior Courtney Livak lobbed a pass into the two-meter for Soria, and the junior center pushed the ball past the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper. The Coyotes ended the six-goal Hoosier run with four seconds remaining in the third period on a power-play goal.
Indiana extended the lead to six at 8-2 with the first two tallies of the fourth period, before Cal State-San Bernardino scored the last three goals of the contest over the final four minutes for the ending margin. Junior Kristin Zernicke assisted on both Hoosier tallies to start the fourth period. She found Pardy on the counter for a lob over the goalkeeper a minute into the fourth period. Zimmerman showed some great individual effort to set up the opportunity for her third goal of the game. Zimmerman stole a pass from a field player to the CSUSB goalkeeper on the Hoosiers' offensive end. Following a foul, Zernicke made Zimmerman live with a pass back down the pool, and Zimmerman tallied her fifth consecutive hat trick with a lob to the left post.
Indiana finished the game with 16 steals compared to just nine turnovers. Zernicke and Zimmerman led the way with three swipes apiece, while Soria, Estrada and Meadows tallied two. Sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Pyrz recorded nine saves, including a pair of six-on-five blocks.
Indiana will continue at the Davis Shootout with a match against Colorado State at 5:30 p.m. EST. It will mark the second time this season the two teams have met after IU picked up a 6-1 victory over the Rams as the season-opening Michigan Kickoff Tournament. On the final day of the Davis Shootout, Sunday, April 9, IU will face No. 4 Loyola Marymount at 2:15 p.m. EST followed by a 6:35 p.m. EST affair with Sonoma State.
Players Mentioned
