Women's Water Polo: With a new season, renewed hope for confident squad

The women’s water polo team kicks off its 2010 season tonight at DeNunzio Pool in the Princeton Invitational. The Tigers are looking to take the next step after a season that saw them fall just a game short of winning the Southern Championships.

Princeton will be fielding an experienced and strong squad this season after losing just three of last year’s players to graduation. Additionally, the Tigers return all but one of the nine players who managed to score double-digit goals last year, which should make for a high-powered offense.

Senior utility and tri-captain Phoebe Champion — the reigning Southern Most Valuable Player — leads the Princeton team along with senior utility and tri-captain Helen Meigs, another returning first-team All-Southern player. Completing the senior trio is utility and tri-captain Carolina Ardila, who, like Champion and Meigs, ranks among the top 14 career goal scorers in Princeton history.

Last year, the Tigers lost 14-10 in the Southern finals to Maryland — a narrow defeat that they will certainly try to avenge.

“I think last year we had a lot of talent, but things just didn’t come together the way that we thought they would,” Champion said. “This year, though, things are already looking a lot better. We’re all playing well together, and we’ve got a lot of good chemistry. Also, this season we have a lot of upperclassmen who have spent the last few years playing together and know each other really well. That’s going to help a lot.”

Key to the team’s title hopes will be Princeton’s defensive core. Sophomore goalkeeper and 2009 first-team All-Southern performer Kristen Ward returns to her place between the pipes after a year in which she made 186 saves in 22 games. She will be aided by junior utility Tanya Wilcox and sophomore defender Audrey Zak, both of whom play vital roles on the defensive end. Both Wilcox and Zak have also led the team in steals at various points throughout their careers.

During the three-day tournament, Princeton will face Gannon, No. 5 Michigan, Colorado State and No. 18 Brown. The Tigers defeated Brown and Colorado State last season, though they fell to Michigan. Princeton is currently ranked No. 20 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association rankings.

“We’re all very excited,” Champion said. “Everyone is really looking forward to getting started. Most other teams across the NCAA have already played in a couple of tournaments, but because of our finals schedule and all of that, this will be our first one. So we definitely feel like we have a little bit of catch-up to do, but we’re ready.”

After the invitational, the Tigers will have little time to rest. They will host the ECAC Championships the following weekend, opening against Iona and potentially having the chance to get an early look at this year’s Maryland squad in the next round.

Though the season will be long and tiring, the team is looking forward to it with excitement.

“There’s no question,” Champion said. “We’re fired up.”