W. water polo takes third place in ECAC Champs

Women's water polo had little trouble dispatching George Washington (15-9) in its last game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships this weekend.

Ahead 5-1 at the half, Princeton (19-7) wasn't expecting any difficulty as it trounced the Colonials' defense and held their offense scoreless for two quarters of the game.

And no one was particularly surprised when the Tigers extended their lead to 11-3 in the third quarter. Thus, when the game ended, there were no shocked expressions when it was announced Princeton had won, 14-3.

No, the problems didn't surface in the Tigers' fine finish in their final game of the weekend. It was on the previous day that trouble reared its ugly head.

Seeded No. 2 in the ECAC tournament, Princeton was eager for the chance to play both Brown and Hartwick, seeded Nos. 1 and 3, respectively. The Tigers had yet to play the Bears and had lost to the Hawks in a 9-7 decision much earlier in the season. Neither situation was a comfortable one, especially as they would see both teams in the Eastern Championships beginning April 23, the week after the Southern Championships.

"We were just trying to come back and get some experience before Southerns and Easterns," freshman driver Danielle Carlson said. "We were hoping to play Hartwick and Brown since we hadn't played Brown yet this season."

But Princeton's first meeting with Brown (11-5) was not a happy one, as the team lost to the Bears, 6-1, after defeating Iona, 8-4, earlier that day.

"The game against Brown obviously didn't go our way," Carlson said. "We weren't mentally prepared to face Brown."

Despite the score, Princeton wasn't outplayed by the Bears. The Tigers created 10 man-up opportunities — six in the first half alone — compared to Brown's two. Of the 10 six-on-five opportunities afforded to the Tigers, only one managed to find the back of the net — a third-quarter goal by Carlson.

Princeton's recent rash of injuries could also be pointed to as a reason the team failed to reach the championship game, but this argument doesn't hold up to scrutiny. In fact, the Tigers' bench has been a strength all season, allowing them to defeat more skillful, though less determined, opponents.

Senior goalie Madeline McCarthy recorded six saves against Brown, and freshman goalie Shannon DeVore has been called upon several times throughout the season, exhibiting solid play each time.

But neither could hold a candle to the extraordinary defense displayed by the Bears' senior Keira Heggie.

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Heggie recorded 30 saves and seven steals for the weekend over the course of three games. Against Princeton, she alone accounted for 14 saves and five steals.

"[Heggie] played very well, but we can't lob the ball at her," Carlson said. "We weren't putting away our shots. There are a lot of things we needed to do to beat [Brown]. We didn't do those."

Princeton simply could not put together the type of game needed to defeat Brown on Saturday.

Later that day against Iona (11-9), the Tigers led, 2-1, after the first quarter off of two goals from sophomore driver Megan Donahue. Freshman utility Elyse Colgan put away two more in the second quarter along with one from freshman driver Jessica Harkins to give Princeton a 5-2 lead at the half, which it never relinquished.

The Tigers were three-for-seven on man-ups, and Colgan went on to score one more to lead Princeton in scoring with three goals en route to its 8-4 win over the Gaels.

Princeton's 14-3 win over George Washington was in the consolation game, so the Tigers were able to salvage a No. 3 finish in the ECAC Championships. The Tigers led, 2-0, after the first period off of two Donahue goals. The sophomore had three first-half goals and finished with four goals during the game, the game high and her weekend high.

Six goals from six different players in the third quarter and a shutout in the fourth sealed the Princeton win, 14-3. Freshman driver Karina Reyner also put away three goals during the game while the Tigers as a whole went two-for-five on its man-up opportunities against the Colonials.

As the No. 2 seed, Princeton was expected to go to the championship round. As a team on a six-game winning streak coming in, Princeton expected to play Brown the same way it played the rest of its opponents. And as a nationally ranked competitor and Div. I team, Princeton will be expected to hold its own against even the best teams in the country from here on out.