Revenge is sweet — especially when the result is an Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship title. Women's water polo captured the title at the expense of No. 15 Hartwick College (18-8) at Lewisburg, Pa., on April 3 in a dramatic 7-6 win. Two opening goals gave the Tigers (21-7) the early boost they needed to squeak past the offensively-minded Hawks, who defeated Princeton in a heartbreaking 12-11 overtime loss earlier this season.
"We came out, and we put two goals to them," freshman goalie Natalie Kim said. "The girls came out ready to play."
The Tigers kept their intensity high for the rest of the game, scoring in every quarter. Princeton relied on consistent offensive contributions from the weekend's offensive goto players, sophomore drivers Jazmin Brown and Danielle Carlson, who led the team in scoring throughout the tournament with seven goals apiece. Brown and Carlson each notched two against Hartwick.
The third quarter ended with Princeton on top, 5-3. The Hawks roared back in the fourth quarter, scoring three quick goals to Princeton's two. Sophomore driver Karina Reyner spearheaded a strong defensive push to halt the comeback attempt and secure victory for the Tigers.
"She made three steals right before the end of the regulation play," Brown said. "They had no chance to even get a shot off."
While the Tigers rely on quick passing and swimming, the Hawks were a much tougher and more physical squad.
"They're bigger than we are, and they're stronger than we are," head coach Luis Nicolao said. "They have some really good Europeans."
It was Princeton's solid defense against Hartwick that sealed the victory. The Tigers cooperated well on the defensive front and helped each other by quickly moving to cover any size mismatches.
But Princeton's solid defense could not fend off all of Hartwick's offensive power without the help of strong play in goal. The Hawks also faced the wall-like presence of Kim in the cage.
"In serious, intense games, I thrive off of pressure," said Kim, who had 16 saves in the game.
After facing the intimidating idea of playing at the college level, Kim has now hit her groove and adapted to the playing styles of her teammates. Her saves in the Hartwick game were critical to the victory, according to both Nicolao and Brown.
On the road to the championship game, the Tigers first steamrolled Villanova on April 2. Carlson led Princeton with three goals in the contest, and eight other Tigers tallied goals in the 14-5 win. Senior veteran goalie and co-captain Madeline McCarthy stopped eight.
Princeton faced Harvard later that day, a game that the Tigers fully expected to pose a challenge to their championship run. Harvard's first team All-ECAC goalie Lydia Gardner has been an indomitable force in the cage all season.
The Tigers, however, still found the back of the net, with three goals in the first half and four in the second. The Crimson never broke Princeton's two-goal buffer advantage, and the Tigers came away with a 7-3 win.
"I was really happy with the way we were yelling chemistry-wise in the water," Nicolao said. "I knew if we kept shooting, we'd get the win."
Improved communication has recently been a focus in practice for the squad. The team strives to work "as a solid team rather than six individuals in the water," Kim said.
Princeton is reaping the benefits of this improved team chemistry on both ends of the pool, outscoring its opponents by a ratio greater than two to one in the tournament.
The Tigers also continue to focus on man-up plays to maximize offensive opportunities when the squad has a six-on-five advantage.
"It's now a matter of putting shots away when we have the chance," Nicolao said.
The team will continue to focus on communication and man-ups as it prepares to face Maryland and George Washington in its final two games before entering the Southern Championships on April 23. With a young but skilled team, including first team All-ECAC sophomore utilities Colgan and Brown and second-team junior driver Megan Donahue, Princeton has the talent necessary to end the season on an successful note.
"I think [that] up until this point our team has been playing well, but we've never really proven ourselves or upset a really big team," Brown said.
The Tigers hope that beating the high-ranked Hartwick team will give them the boost they need to propel their play going into the postseason.
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