Several familiar teams on weekend schedule for w. water polo

It's going to be a busy weekend for the women's water polo team.

The Tigers (12-6) return to DeNunzio Pool this weekend to take on five teams. They will kick off the weekend's competition tonight at 5 p.m. (time changed from the original 7:30 p.m. start) facing Queens College. Saturday will find the Tigers up against Maryland at 11 a.m., followed by a night game against Bucknell at 7 a.m. On Sunday, the Tigers face Villanova at 9:30 a.m. and George Washington at 2:30 p.m.

Princeton must overcome the loss of freshman driver Megan Zitren, who is out for the season after a knee injury.

These games mark the last for the Tigers before ECAC Championships, which begin the road leading to the NCAA tournament.

"This weekend we can expect good competition, but I believe as long as we keep playing well as a team we will end the weekend with no losses," junior goalie Maddy McCarthy said. "We are going to use these games to try some new things. We have been working on offense and defense and are trying to work out any kinks before we head to Brown and have ECACs."

"We played some really physical games against some of the top teams in the country [on our trip to California], and now is our chance to bring that intensity back to our games in the East," freshman utility Elyse Colgan said. "This weekend we are going to continue working on our half court offense and man-up positions, and just gear up for the rest of the season."

Queens College and Princeton will be facing each other for the first time this season tonight. As of March 10 the Knights were 0-4 on the season. Last year, the Tigers trampled the Knights 16-2.

"In years past we've always won our games against Queens pretty decisively," McCarthy said. "However, we will approach this game like we do every other game."

The Saturday and Sunday games find the Tigers competing against four teams they have already played this season and beaten.

"The good thing about facing teams that we've played and beaten already is that now we get a second chance to perfect our game," Brown said. "The main fault of our team is mental preparation and intensity. Playing these types of games forces our team to mature and take charge of the situation."

The Tigers first met the Maryland Terrapins (0-5) on March 7, ousting them by a final score of 17-7. In the first game between the Terps and the Tigers, sophomore driver Megan Donahue led Princeton with four goals. Freshman driver Jazmin Brown also had three goals and won all four of her sprints.

The Tigers play the Bucknell Bisons (9-11) on Saturday night. The Tigers first faced Bucknell in the Bucknell Invitational on Feb. 28, taking down the Bisons, 11-5. In the that game, Colgan led the Tigers with five goals.

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Villanova (5-10) will try to get the best of the Tigers early Sunday morning. The Wildcats and the Tigers last faced off at DeNunzio on Feb. 26, a meeting in which Princeton toppled Villanova decisively, 15-5. Seven different players scored first-quarter goals in the win against the Wildcats.

The weekend ends for Princeton with a game against George Washington (11-6). The Tigers and Colonials have already played each other twice this season. The first meeting, on Feb. 15 in Washington, D.C., ended as the Colonials fell to the Tigers, 13-3. Freshman Danielle Carlson posted five of the Tigers 13 goals. The two met again on March 6, again in D.C., with Princeton winning again, 9-5. Donahue had two goals and six steals.

Overall, the weekend is looking good for the Tigers. It will provide the team with the opportunity to work on more team play and prepare for championships. Additionally, it will give several players more experience, as Zitren had knee surgery last weekend and will be out for the remainder of the season.

"Zitren is a really smart player, both offensively and defensively," McCarthy said. "Her injury is definitely a loss to the team, but we are a very talented and deep team. This weekend will give us a chance to see which other players are ready to step in and fill her shoes."