Goga Vukmirovic, starting goalie for the women's water polo team, is reticent when discussing herself. Eager to talk about Princeton's team dynamic or the mentoring of assistant coaches senior Erik Lin and sophomore Greg Stoll, the sophomore gives credit for her career as one of the top goalies in the country to everyone but herself. She insists that her selection to the high school All-America second team in just her second year in the water "doesn't really mean anything." The Sarajevo native never even mentions her selection to the collegiate All-East first team as a freshman.
Selfless
Her modesty isn't a cute pretense. For Vukmirovic, dedication to the team comes before desire for individual glory, and her conviction that Princeton (18-6 overall, 7-1 Collegiate Water Polo Association) wins because of exceptional team cohesiveness is supported by the facts.
The Tigers' strategy is built upon a winning defense, which "relies upon each player being in their position at all times and trusting that the other players are doing the same," Vukmirovic says. "For if even a single player is out of her position, the whole premise the defense is built upon falls apart."
But her role is at the center of it all, and in a crunch the Tigers know they can rely on Vukmirovic's talent. In a game earlier this season against Harvard, Vukmirovic stopped not one but two penalty shots. Down 3-1 at the time of the first penalty shot, her teammates credit Vukmirovic's performance for reversing the game's momentum, leading to a 6-4 Princeton win.
Persistence
Originally a basketball player, Vukmirovic almost hung up the towel after only one day in the water. Up against swimmers looking for a way to stay in shape in the off-season, Vukmirovic, then a junior in high school, walked out of the first day of tryouts because she couldn't keep up. Not wanting to quit, however, she stayed on and started to play as a goalie, a position for which she had a natural affinity.
For a goalie, Vukmirovic is unusually small, slim and of average height, so it's a challenge for her to take up space in the goal. Instead, she relies upon athletic ability and mental toughness to give her an edge over her opponents. Her playing style is unusual in a game in which goalies are typically the least athletic players in the water.
"(Head coach Paul Nelson) has a different expectation of me," Vukmirovic says. "I play out of the cage, so I'm responsible not just for blocking the ball. I have to make more steals as well."
Gambler
Making steals requires Vukmirovic to play out of the goal, actively attacking players who are positioned near the goal and stealing the opposition's passes to the area in front of the goal. If she miscalculates, however, the attack has a clear shot at an undefended net, making fast swimming and quick thinking key to her play.
Unlike many goalies, Vukmirovic makes this balancing act work, recording four to nine steals each game, in addition to making 11-15 blocks a game.
"I'd describe Goga's style of playing within this system as 'blue collar,' " Nelson says. "She really is just willing to work harder and more aggressively than many of the opposition."
Sticking together
Regardless of her talent, Vukmirovic wouldn't be a complete player without her strong rapport with the team. She can play the aggressive, 'roaming' game she favors only if the rest of the defense eliminates outside shots, forcing the attack to play closer to the goal. And Vukmirovic's roaming plays work only when coordinated with junior hole-set Veronica Diaz, who covers the goalie's back.
"Water polo is a team-oriented game," Vukmirovic says. "I don't really win games for us. I have to be there to make sure we don't lose."
The Tigers will meet Bucknell at DeNunzio pool tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in the first round of the Mid-Atlantic Championships. Last year, Princeton lost to Bucknell at Mid-Atlantics, failing to get an automatic berth to Easterns. The winner of the match will advance to play Slippery Rock – which won the national championship in 1995 – or West Chester at 7 p.m. tomorrow night. Perennial contender Maryland will also be playing. The top three teams at Mid-Atlantics will go on to play at Easterns April 24-26.
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