Indiana University Athletics
Saturday, April 16
Princeton, N.J.
10:00 AM
Indiana University
vs
Brown
IU Looking To Clinch Top-2 Seed This Weekend
4/15/2016 3:44:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
By Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The nature of the CWPA's frantic conference schedule to end the regular season leaves Indiana with a chance to secure a top-seed for the league's tournament later this month.
And that's exactly what head coach Barry King said his Hoosiers need to do.
"We put ourselves in a position to kind of secure the 2-seed going into the conference tournament, which is what we needed to do to be on the other side of the bracket from Michigan," King said. "So that's what this weekend is about is taking care of business."
Of course, No. 13 IU mathematically could also end up with a No. 1 seed by the end of the weekend, but that would require top-seeded No. 6 Michigan to lose a pair of games if the Hoosiers win all four against Brown, George Washington, Bucknell and No. 21 Hartwick.
CWPA Water Polo
Princteon, N.J. • DeNunzio Pool
Saturday, April 16
10:00 a.m. ET – #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. Brown (9-19, 1-3)
3:20 p.m. ET - #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. George Washington (6-12, 0-3)
Sunday, April 17
11:40 a.m. ET - #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. Bucknell (14-12, 2-1)
3:40 p.m. ET - #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. #21 Hartwick (15-8, 3-0)
Because it's unlikely for Indiana (17-6, 2-1) to overtake Michigan (22-6, 3-0) in the standings, King would be fine settling for the next best thing and finishing second to avoid the Wolverines in the CWPA Tournament until the championship game.
Considering Michigan beat IU 11-8 in Bloomington last weekend, King said he'd rather the two highest-ranked teams in the conference not have to beat each other up until an NCAA Tournament berth is on the line in the finals, making securing four wins this weekend critical.
"You just don't want to be in a place where you've got to expend that kind of energy to get to a championship game," King said. "Because you may not may not have your best go around in the championship. You've just got to avoid that all together."
The Hoosiers have reason to be confident heading into the last weekend of the regular season considering their recent play.
Indiana followed up its loss to Michigan last weekend with wins over No. 13 Harvard and No. 16 Princeton to complete the front end of its frontloaded CWPA schedule. The Hoosiers have now won seven of their last eight games and 16 of their last 18.
After a slow start to the season, King said Indiana is starting to play some of its better water polo mostly because the players are more familiar with each other. Indiana suffered some of the biggest roster turnover in recent memory over the last offseason, but unfamiliarity isn't as much of a factor at this point in the year and IU is playing better because of it.
"It's just a case of people who didn't really know each other getting to know each other," King said. "That's simply what's happening. It's all about reps."
Indiana will have four more chances at game action this weekend before a week off separates the regular season from the CWPA Tournament. Water polo has one of the busiest, most frantic ends to a season in NCAA sports, and King is hoping his team can handle it well and head into the tournament season with momentum.
"We've got a chance to end the year right and then regroup," he said. "It's a nature of our sport. But we've got to get wins this weekend."
Hoosier Polo Notes
Pinnacle in Princeton
The Hoosiers, now 2-1 after their first three conference games, will play out their regular season schedule in Princeton's DeNunzio Pool with pairs of games on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17. Last season, Indiana earned a 10-1 record in DeNunzio Pool with a 4-0 finish in their regular season CWPA weekend.
Ivy League Sweep
Last weekend, Indiana got back on track with wins against No. 13 Harvard and No. 16 Princeton. Kate Pipkin faciliated the attack with 10 assists and one goal, and Candyce Schroeder drilled two hat tricks. Mary Campbell controlled her goal with 20 saves between the two games.
Bearing Down for Brown
Indiana will begin their weekend with a rematch against Brown. In their previous meeting at the Bruno Classic, the Hoosiers left with a 15-7 win amidst a 3-1 weekend. Sarah Myers and Kelly Matthews combined for eight goals in the win, and MacKenzie Bonk secured 10 saves.
Casing the Colonels
The Hoosiers' Saturday slate continues with a matchup against George Washington, who are currently 0-3 in conference play. In their meeting last season. Kelly Matthews (5), Jennifer Beadle (4), and Candyce Schroeder (4) led the way in a high-scoring 19-4 win. Indiana is 10-0 all-time against the Colonels.
Bison Breakdown
Sunday's tough test starts with the 14-12 Bucknell Bison, who are just outside of the national top 25. Like the Hoosiers, the Bison are 2-1 in conference play with wins over Brown and George Washington. The last time Indiana played Bucknell, the Hoosiers earned a 2015 Senior Day win, 18-10, led by three goals and three assists from Candyce Schroeder.
Handling Hartwick
The Hoosiers' regular season concludes Sunday afternoon with a tough matchup against No. 21 Hartwick, who started 3-0 in the CWPA last weekend. Indiana has won their last seven games against the Hawks, including two wins last season.
Of Note...
• 2015 CWPA Rookie of the Year Kelly Matthews is having a stellar season with the Hoosiers. She leads Indiana in four categories: goals (58), assists (43), steals (43), and field blocks (17). Nationally, Matthews ranks fifth in scoring and fourth amongst assist leaders.
• Senior goalkeeper Mary Campbell is amidst a standount senior season in the cage for Indiana. Campbell leads the nation in saves per game (minimum 10 games) with an average of 10.1 saves.
• Center Candyce Schroeder is IU's top returning scorer in 2016. The senior has 156 career goals (8th - IU history) and 67 career assists to her name. Her presence in the pool has caused problems for opposing defenses, as Schroeder has drawn 31 ejections this season.
• This weekend, head coach Barry King is pursuing his 17th 20-win season since his first year in 1998.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The nature of the CWPA's frantic conference schedule to end the regular season leaves Indiana with a chance to secure a top-seed for the league's tournament later this month.
And that's exactly what head coach Barry King said his Hoosiers need to do.
"We put ourselves in a position to kind of secure the 2-seed going into the conference tournament, which is what we needed to do to be on the other side of the bracket from Michigan," King said. "So that's what this weekend is about is taking care of business."
Of course, No. 13 IU mathematically could also end up with a No. 1 seed by the end of the weekend, but that would require top-seeded No. 6 Michigan to lose a pair of games if the Hoosiers win all four against Brown, George Washington, Bucknell and No. 21 Hartwick.
CWPA Water Polo
Princteon, N.J. • DeNunzio Pool
Saturday, April 16
10:00 a.m. ET – #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. Brown (9-19, 1-3)
3:20 p.m. ET - #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. George Washington (6-12, 0-3)
Sunday, April 17
11:40 a.m. ET - #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. Bucknell (14-12, 2-1)
3:40 p.m. ET - #13 Indiana (17-6, 2-1) vs. #21 Hartwick (15-8, 3-0)
Considering Michigan beat IU 11-8 in Bloomington last weekend, King said he'd rather the two highest-ranked teams in the conference not have to beat each other up until an NCAA Tournament berth is on the line in the finals, making securing four wins this weekend critical.
"You just don't want to be in a place where you've got to expend that kind of energy to get to a championship game," King said. "Because you may not may not have your best go around in the championship. You've just got to avoid that all together."
The Hoosiers have reason to be confident heading into the last weekend of the regular season considering their recent play.
Indiana followed up its loss to Michigan last weekend with wins over No. 13 Harvard and No. 16 Princeton to complete the front end of its frontloaded CWPA schedule. The Hoosiers have now won seven of their last eight games and 16 of their last 18.
After a slow start to the season, King said Indiana is starting to play some of its better water polo mostly because the players are more familiar with each other. Indiana suffered some of the biggest roster turnover in recent memory over the last offseason, but unfamiliarity isn't as much of a factor at this point in the year and IU is playing better because of it.
"It's just a case of people who didn't really know each other getting to know each other," King said. "That's simply what's happening. It's all about reps."
Indiana will have four more chances at game action this weekend before a week off separates the regular season from the CWPA Tournament. Water polo has one of the busiest, most frantic ends to a season in NCAA sports, and King is hoping his team can handle it well and head into the tournament season with momentum.
"We've got a chance to end the year right and then regroup," he said. "It's a nature of our sport. But we've got to get wins this weekend."
Hoosier Polo Notes
Pinnacle in Princeton
The Hoosiers, now 2-1 after their first three conference games, will play out their regular season schedule in Princeton's DeNunzio Pool with pairs of games on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17. Last season, Indiana earned a 10-1 record in DeNunzio Pool with a 4-0 finish in their regular season CWPA weekend.
Ivy League Sweep
Last weekend, Indiana got back on track with wins against No. 13 Harvard and No. 16 Princeton. Kate Pipkin faciliated the attack with 10 assists and one goal, and Candyce Schroeder drilled two hat tricks. Mary Campbell controlled her goal with 20 saves between the two games.
Bearing Down for Brown
Indiana will begin their weekend with a rematch against Brown. In their previous meeting at the Bruno Classic, the Hoosiers left with a 15-7 win amidst a 3-1 weekend. Sarah Myers and Kelly Matthews combined for eight goals in the win, and MacKenzie Bonk secured 10 saves.
Casing the Colonels
The Hoosiers' Saturday slate continues with a matchup against George Washington, who are currently 0-3 in conference play. In their meeting last season. Kelly Matthews (5), Jennifer Beadle (4), and Candyce Schroeder (4) led the way in a high-scoring 19-4 win. Indiana is 10-0 all-time against the Colonels.
Bison Breakdown
Sunday's tough test starts with the 14-12 Bucknell Bison, who are just outside of the national top 25. Like the Hoosiers, the Bison are 2-1 in conference play with wins over Brown and George Washington. The last time Indiana played Bucknell, the Hoosiers earned a 2015 Senior Day win, 18-10, led by three goals and three assists from Candyce Schroeder.
Handling Hartwick
The Hoosiers' regular season concludes Sunday afternoon with a tough matchup against No. 21 Hartwick, who started 3-0 in the CWPA last weekend. Indiana has won their last seven games against the Hawks, including two wins last season.
Of Note...
• 2015 CWPA Rookie of the Year Kelly Matthews is having a stellar season with the Hoosiers. She leads Indiana in four categories: goals (58), assists (43), steals (43), and field blocks (17). Nationally, Matthews ranks fifth in scoring and fourth amongst assist leaders.
• Senior goalkeeper Mary Campbell is amidst a standount senior season in the cage for Indiana. Campbell leads the nation in saves per game (minimum 10 games) with an average of 10.1 saves.
• Center Candyce Schroeder is IU's top returning scorer in 2016. The senior has 156 career goals (8th - IU history) and 67 career assists to her name. Her presence in the pool has caused problems for opposing defenses, as Schroeder has drawn 31 ejections this season.
• This weekend, head coach Barry King is pursuing his 17th 20-win season since his first year in 1998.
Players Mentioned
Center
/ Women's Water Polo
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Defender
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Center
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