Women's Water Polo: Princeton takes one of three at Easterns

The Tigers followed up their loss to the Wolverines by beating Bucknell again 9-6 and losing to No. 16 Indiana to claim sixth place in the tournament, which was held in Cambridge, Mass.

Against the heavily favored Wolverines (33-8 overall) on Friday, the Tigers (16-14, 2-4 Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division) kept the match tight until the third quarter, as the teams were tied at three at halftime. Despite six saves from freshman goaltender Kristen Ward, the Tigers were unable to stand up to the Michigan onslaught and allowed nine goals in the second half.

Princeton’s efforts to distribute the ball well on offense were rewarded, though, as each of the seven Tiger goals was scored by a different player.

The next day, the Tigers took on Bucknell (18-17) in the latest installment of the team’s heated rivalry.

In the first nationally televised women’s water polo game ever on March 28, the Bison edged out the Tigers 9-7 at DeNunzio Pool. The next weekend, Bucknell beat the Tigers again, this time by a score of 11-7.

In their opening game at the Southern Championships, however, the Tigers roared their way to a thrilling overtime win against the Bison after junior utility Phoebe Champion found the back of the net to secure the victory. And on Saturday, the Tigers replicated this success and ran away with the game.

Champion, the leading scorer on the women’s water polo team, notched three goals in the game to bring her season total to 47, and fellow junior utility Helen Meigs added two scores of her own. Trailing 3-2 after the first quarter, Princeton shut Bucknell out in the second and third to take a commanding 6-3 lead.

Despite a tense fourth quarter in which both teams scored three goals, the Tigers held on to eliminate the Bison once more.

In the fifth-place game on Sunday, the Tigers played Indiana (21-17), a team they had not faced this year. The Hoosiers jumped to an early lead and never looked back: They were leading 4-0 by the end of the first quarter and 8-1 by the end of the half.

Four Hoosiers scored two goals each in the first half, and the only Tiger with multiple goals was freshman center defender Audrey Zak, who scored twice.

The Tigers outscored Indiana in the second half 5-3, but they still fell by a final score of 11-6 at the end of the game, leaving them sixth at Easterns.

Even if the finish was not what the Tigers hoped for from the season, they can take solace in the knowledge that their prospects for next year are promising.

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Champion and Meigs will both be back as seniors, and four of team’s five leading scorers — Champion, Meigs, sophomore utility Lauren Brunner and junior utility Carolina Ardila — will return.

Furthermore, the team’s emerging defense promises to be solid next year, as only one defender, senior center defender Liz Dilday, will graduate in June.

Princeton can look back on its season as a learning experience for its rising seniors.

The crucial revenge victories over Bucknell at Southerns and this past weekend at Easterns prove that the squad has the potential to display resilience in the face of pressure.

The Tigers are certainly looking forward to showing what they can do next season. And if the talented group of rising seniors can play to their full potential, Princeton could be on the brink of something very special.