Indiana University Athletics
2009 Water Polo Season Preview
1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
Jan. 9, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 2009 Indiana Hoosiers women's water polo team is coming off of a 20-16 overall record last season, including a 6-1 mark in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Western Division. Head coach Barry King, entering his 12th season at Indiana, returns five starters from last year's team.
"This is probably the deepest team we've had in quite some time," King said. "I think overall, athletically, we've made improvements from the previous years. The measure of the team is going to be how we incorporate that increased athleticism into working as a team."
Although the team only lost four letter winners from last season, replacing Brooke Zimmerman's production will be a challenge. Zimmerman finished third on the school's career scoring list with 206 goals and first in career assists with 172. Team balance will be a key dynamic all season for the Hoosiers.
"I think this is going to require a real balanced situation," King said. "I wouldn't trade the years that we had with Brooke for anything, but we tended to rely on her a little too much sometimes last year. This year we'll be much more balanced, which makes us more difficult to prepare for, from a defensive point of view."
Indiana will be led by senior center Maggie Hannon, who scored 62 goals last year and is the top returning goal scorer for the Hoosiers. She netted four or more goals in five games throughout the 2008 season. Junior attacker Kelly Palmberg, who started in all 36 games last season, will also be an important returning player. Palmberg tallied 34 goals and 23 assists last year.
The growth of the strong sophomore class will also be important for the Hoosiers. This class got a great deal of valuable game experience last season as freshmen, so they will be expected to carry part of the load.
"Maggie Hannon is going to be relied upon heavily at the center position," King said. "We'll be looking for increased contributions from a number of people. Nicole Redder building on her really solid freshman year, as well as Lauren Wyckoff. They've gained a little more confidence with a year under their belt. They know what's going to be demanded of them in the pool, and hopefully they can contribute a little bit on the leadership side also."
The goalkeeper will be a key position for the Hoosiers this season. Junior Katie Carson and freshman Cassie Wyckoff will be competing for the starting job. Carson started 18 games in 2008, making 171 saves, while also being named to the CWPA All-Division 2nd team.
"I think the competition at the goalkeeper position has been beneficial for us," King said. "We expect good things out of whoever wins that starting position, either Katie or Cassie."
Indiana will also look for production from many of their nine newcomers to this year's squad.
"We're looking forward to the contributions of a lot of the new people," King said. "Jackie Köhli could turn out to be a really special player for us. Kristin Harmidy is going to help us with depth. I think Hanna Eimstad and Allison Silver are going to be real sleepers for us and have some real breakout moments in their freshman year."
The Hoosiers will be tested during their 2009 season, as their schedule presents challenges from start to finish. They will get a chance to play many teams ranked in the top 15 in the country throughout their schedule.
"It's a very competitive schedule right from the beginning," said King. "We'll be trying to prepare ourselves the best we can for every weekend and every opponent that we see. It will be very important for us to respond well to challenges, and not necessarily just individual games, but the depth of competition on any given weekend."
The CWPA will once again be extremely competitive. It features many of the top teams in the nation, such as defending conference champion Michigan. The Hoosiers are one of a handful of teams that hope to contend for the conference title, in what could prove to be a wide open league.
"I think Michigan would probably be considered the favorite to repeat," King said. "They have a very productive senior class. I think this should be a good year for Maryland. It's kind of their first full rotation through their program. Michigan, Maryland, Hartwick, and Indiana should all be in the mix. Princeton is right there too."
Indiana will host the 2009 CWPA Western Division Championships on April 18 and 19. The Hoosiers finished second last season, and look to challenge for the championship this season at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
"We always like having the opportunity to play at home, especially when a title is on the line." King said. "I think after last year, and the way we finished the season on a bit of a down note, we will learn from that when the time comes this season. I think we're more prepared mentally for what that tournament means. Having that tournament at home will make that more special."
Indiana will open the season at the Michigan Kickoff in Ann Arbor, Michigan on January 24 and 25.
Players Mentioned
