Nothing is ever certain in sports, but the women's water polo team's chances of victory this weekend at the Southern Division Championships are as close to certain as they get. All four teams Princeton (23-7 overall, 8-0 College Water Polo Association Southern) will face off against — Bucknell, George Washington, Maryland and Salem International — have already decisively lost to the Tigers in contests this season.
Having secured a bid at next weekend's Eastern Championships, Princeton is treating this weekend's play as more of a training endeavor than anything else.
"[We] need to use it to get ready for Easterns," said sophomore utility Elyse Colgan, the Tigers' leading scorer. "The following weekend is going to be really tough."
Princeton's competition at the Eastern Championships will likely include Michigan and Indiana, two of the top teams in the country. The Tigers have yet to face off against either team this season.
According to Colgan, both of these squads feature "big girls." Preparation for intense physical play is therefore crucial in the next two weeks of practice and play.
With their eyes set on the following weekend's challenges, The Tigers are still not writing off the challenge the Tigers will face this weekend. Upsets are always possible, and the Princeton squad wants to maintain team unity, something that was difficult earlier in the season. Early on, the Tigers often found themselves playing as six separate players instead of a congealed unit in the pool. The intense play against the California teams during their spring break road trip helped Princeton correct this problem. The Tigers now need to continue to keep their intensity level high, even if the level of competition they will face this weekend is lower.
No daunting threat
On Saturday, Princeton will first square off against a fourth-seeded, fledgling Maryland team (10-16, 2-6), which is in only its second season of play. The young program does not boast any particular area of strength. In both contests this season, the Tigers have dominated the tempo of the games and handed the Terrapins losses by 14- and 11-goal margins. Fresh off a win against Maryland in its last game on April 9, Princeton should be ready to notch another win.
The Tigers will then duel fifth-seeded Salem International, another very beatable opponent, as Princeton proved in a doubleheader earlier this season. In those games, the Tigers won 13-3 and then 15-7 in Salem's home pool. Salem International has not yet recorded a win in its eight conference games.
If Princeton wins both of these contests, the Tigers will likely face a slightly tougher opponent in either George Washington (11-13, 4-4) or Bucknell (20-8, 6-2).
Bucknell boasts a strong presence in the cage with its two sophomore goalies, starter Mandy Bynum and backup Katie Colgan, the cousin of Princeton's Elyse Colgan. The two Bison goalies have .606 and .696 save percentages, respectively. Last year, as a freshman, Bynum started each game and in just her first year became Bucknell's second all-time saves leader.
Second-seeded Bucknell also has an offensive dynamo in senior driver Meg Blitzer. Blitzer leads the Bison in scoring with 58 goals on the season and is tied for first in assists with 19. She was named to the CWPA All-Conference first team last season and has made her presence known in contests against the Tigers this season, netting a goal in each game.
George Washington has also put up a fight in its losses against Princeton. The Tigers, though definitely in control during the game, only beat the Colonials by a two-goal margin in the most recent contest. Sophomore Morgan Hooker, George Washington's most accurate shooter last season with a .510 percentage, notched three in the contest. Last season, Princeton defeated the Colonials in a nail-biting 7-6 contest to win the Southern Championship title.
Keys to success

The Tigers' strong defense has been crucial in securing the team's current eight-game winning streak. Continued prowess in the backfield will be essential to extending the streak this weekend.
"We've been playing really well with helping each other on defense," Colgan said. "Making sure each person's man is covered; switching if someone's driving."
Transition play has been another recent focus for the team so it can take advantage of defensive stops. The team also continues to work on the six-on-five advantage, which occurs when an opponent's player is called with a foul and forced to leave the pool as penalty — similar to a power play in ice hockey.
On the offensive end, Colgan leads the team with 77 goals tallied on the season, but she recognizes sophomore drivers Danielle Carlson and Jessica Ajoux and sophomore center Samantha Shaughnessy as others who have recently worked to bring Princeton more diverse offensive options.
"They've been stepping up shooting-wise," Colgan said. "Less timid, being more of a threat."
Colgan hopes to lead the Tigers to a title this weekend with decisive victories, as Princeton prepares for greater challenges later in post-season play.