With upset of No. 12 Santa Clara, Princeton splits at Triton

In tournament competition, one starts to see whether a team will sink or swim.

The No. 18 women's water polo team kept afloat this past weekend against some of the top water polo teams in the nation at the Triton Invitational in San Diego. Princeton (2-2 overall) won two of four games, including a victory over No. 12 Santa Clara. The Tigers narrowly lost to No. 17 UC San Diego and No. 15 Long Beach State (2-2) after early leads eroded in the final quarters.

Overall, the Tigers finished 11th in the field of 16. Senior utility player Elyse Colgan delivered an impressive performance, scoring 10 goals in the tournament, while junior goalkeeper Natalie Kim made 47 saves. Princeton's promising freshman class exceeded expectations, accounting for 15 goals — nearly two-fifths of the team's total offense. Freshman utility Helen Meigs and freshman center defender Lauren Sabb each scored at least one goal in all four games.

"The team is still getting used to each other's different playing styles and strengths," Sabb said in an e-mail. "But we've gotten our first tournament jitters out of the way and we will continue to improve, both individually and as a team, as the season advances."

Princeton opened the event Saturday morning against the tournament's host, UC San Diego. Colgan looked like her old self, exploding for three goals in the first quarter. Princeton's offense overwhelmed the experienced Triton squad in the first half, rallying from an early deficit to take a 5-3 advantage into halftime.

The second half was even more hotly contested, as both the momentum and the lead swung back and forth. The game was knotted four times in the final two quarters. UC San Diego took a 9-8 lead on Sarah Bajorek's goal with six minutes, 17 seconds remaining in regulation. But Princeton fought back, tying the match at nine. The Tigers finally succumbed in the second overtime period to the Triton's man-up advantage. With only 37 seconds remaining, UC San Diego star Nicole Hermann blasted a shot from the right side past Kim for a goal and a 10-9 victory.

The exhausting overtime loss to UC San Diego left Princeton vulnerable to its only unranked opponent, Maryland (0-4). The Terrapins took an early lead in the nightcap game behind Shannon Simerly's four goals. But the Tiger offense roared back. Princeton scored five goals in the second quarter and led at halftime, with a 9-8 edge. An aggressive defense and Kim's nine saves helped keep the Maryland offense in check. And a series of Terrapin mistakes and turnovers helped assured Princeton's first win of the tournament, with a final score of 15-12.

Senior co-captains Colgan and Karina Reyner contributed four and three goals, respectively. Senior utility player Jazmin Brown, Sabb and freshman utility player Phoebe Champion added two goals each. Meigs scored her third of five tournament goals, while Kim had nine saves.

Next up for the Tigers was 15th-ranked Long Beach State. Princeton clung onto a 6-5 lead over the favored 49ers into the fourth quarter. But the 49ers went on a 3-1 run, tying the game with just under three minutes remaining in regulation. Marina Canetti's last minute goal handed Long Beach State the lead. Princeton's offense stalled late, and as time expired, the Tigers were unable to capitalize on their one-man advantage, losing 8-7.

Princeton's offensive struggles were compounded by the performance of LBSU goalkeeper, Kim Hayes, who was stingy all day. Hayes made a career-high 12 saves in the game. Brown led the Tigers on offense with two goals in the losing effort, and Kim rallied the Tiger defense with 10 saves.

In Princeton's fourth and final match, the Tigers battled the Santa Clara Broncos (5-4). The Orange and Black stayed close with its highest-ranked opponent of the tournament, closing the first half in a 6-6 tie. Princeton's defense shut out the Broncos in the second half, adding two goals in the fourth quarter to pull ahead, 8-6.

Colgan scored twice, though Princeton's defense stole the show as it held a powerful Santa Clara offense to just six goals.

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The tournament tested the Tigers' ability to play as a team and indicated that the team's four freshmen will likely play a crucial role in determining the season's outcome.

Princeton will be back in the pool Feb. 17 and 18 for the Maryland Invitational in College Park, Md. That event will have Eastern Championship implications, as the Tigers are scheduled to face off against Michigan, Indiana, Hartwick and Maryland — four of their biggest rivals.