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Princeton University Looks to Regain Women's Varsity Southern Division Title in 2010
PRINCETON, N.J. -- The 2010 Princeton University women's water polo season gets underway this weekend when 10 teams compete at DeNunzio Pool in the Princeton Invitational. Princeton enters the season looking to regain the Southern Championship after falling a game short a season ago.
Princeton returns an experienced group of players this season after losing just three players to graduation a season ago. The Tigers were 16-14 last season and 2-4 in the CWPA Southern Division season. Princeton was the third seed for Southerns but knocked off second-seeded Bucknell in the semifinals before dropping the championship match to Maryland. A week later, Princeton placed sixth at the Eastern Championships.
Princeton is led by a trio of seniors and each ranks among the top-14 career goal scorers and the top-eight in career assists. The group includes Phoebe Champion, the reigning Southern Most Valuable Player and a three-time All-Southern honoree, Helen Meigs, a first-team All-South choice last season, and Carolina Ardila.
The three also ranked in Princeton's top five scorers last season with Champion leading the way with 37 goals scored, where she was tied for the team lead with junior Lauren Brunner, the 2008 Southern Rookie of the Year and a second-team All-Southern selection last season.
In total, Princeton returns eight of the nine players that reached double figures in goals last season. The group includes juniors Tanya Wilcox and Sarah Hutchison who have reached double figures in each of their two years at Princeton. Princeton also got double-digit totals last season from sophomores Audrey Zak and Cayley Bowles playing in their first season at Princeton.
The Tigers also return a strong nucleus in the defensive zone, led by sophomore goalkeeper Kristen Ward, the first-team All-South goalie last year in her freshman season. Ward was 8-10 in goal and made 186 saves in 22 games. Wilcox, Champion and Zak also play prominent roles in the defensive zone, all three among Princeton leaders in steals throughout their careers.
The Tigers open the season on Friday night against Gannon at 7 p.m. Princeton will play four times over the opening weekend, also facing Michigan, Colorado State and Brown. Princeton plays at home again next weekend when it hosts the ECAC Championships and opens against Iona on Saturday morning. Princeton then travels on consecutive weekends, heading to Indiana for the Elite Eight Tournament and then to California to start Spring Break a week later.
