Water Polo Hosts Indiana Classic This Weekend

Saturday, March 3

Bloomington, IN

3 PM

Indiana University

Hartwick

3/2/2018 3:58:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Tournament Central Game Notes (PDF)BTN Plus FloSwimming Live Stats

Hoosiers are on a five-game winning streak; 4-0 at home in 2018

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Hoosiers will bring a five-game winning streak to their second home defense of the season, the 2018 Indiana Classic. The weekend inside the Counsilman-Billingsley aquatic center brings eight teams and four IU games to Bloomington, led by the CWPA opener versus No. 13 Hartwick and a rematch against Santa Clara. Indiana hopes to end the weekend with a perfect home record after going 4-0 at the Hoosier Invite in January.

To do that, they'll rely on the stout senior class that has led Indiana on both ends of the pool in order to set up a special Senior Day against Michigan at the end of the month. All five IU games will stream live on BTN Plus and FloSwmming.

Last Action: Unblemished in the Bay
Indiana returns to the comforts of home after an outstanding weekend at the Santa Clara Invitational, going 4-0 against the field. Highlighting the Hoosiers' perfect weekend was their wire-to-wire win over No. 10 UC Davis, 8-5, and their nailbiting comeback win over the hosting Santa Clara Broncos, 8-7. Sarah Young (11) and Jennifer Beadle (9) led the Indiana goals tally, while Jessica Gaudreault (39 saves) posted two games with double-digit save totals and didn't concede a goal in 6-of-13 quarters played.

Leading from the Front
The five-woman senior class is doing it all for Indiana in their final year with the Cream & Crimson. They have accounted for nearly half of Indiana's total goal output (72) and more than half of their assists (55), guiding the Hoosiers to a 6-3 record against ranked opponents in 2018.

A trio of seniors are past the century mark for career goals, the latest being Sarah Young who notched her 100th score in last weekend's finale with CSU Monterey Bay. Sarah Myers (95 goals) could be the fourth Hoosier in triple-digit scoring figures over her career.

Saturday in the CWPA
The Hoosiers' opening clash with Hartwick promises to be one of the premier games across the country this weekend, as it opens conference play for both teams. Indiana seeks retribution from last year's meeting, when the Hawks won 8-6 in a neutral pool.

The Hawks are off to an 11-2 start, with their only losses coming against teams currently ranked in the top 15. They're led in the water by last year's CWPA Rookie of the year, Lena Kotanchyan, and reigning CWPA Offensive Player of the Week Zsofia Polak.

Gaudreault in the Zone
It's no secret that senior Jessica Gaudreault has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world, especially after the shower of accolades she received in international competition this summer. She showed that signature form last weekend to pick up her second CWPA Defensive Player of the Week award of the season.

Gaudreault has 123 saves through 15 games, making 10 or more saves in six contests this year. She currently ranks third all-time on Indiana's career saves leaderboard with 820, 71 blocks shy of second-ranked Jessica Goldner (2002-05).

Matthews Making Plays
Hoosier senior Kelly Matthews has been nothing short of incredible in the pool since arriving at IU in 2015. Matthews leads Indiana in total points with 40 (21 goals, 19 assists) and added six of each to the unbeaten weekend in Santa Clara.

Matthews is climbing higher in the Hoosiers' record book. Her 228 goals are the most by an Indiana player in five years and she's 16 scores away from third-ranked Jakie Köhli (2008-13).

Of Note…
• Seniors Sarah Myers (95) could become the fourth active Hoosier to cross the 100-goal milestone. Myers also leads Indiana with 31 steals this season.
• Jennifer Beadle has Indiana's longest active scoring streak at eight consecutive games. She's scored 19 goals in that stretch.
• This is the final full-weekend home stand for the Hoosiers this weekend. They'll face No. 9 Michigan on Saturday, March 31 in their home finale.