Water Polo Drops First Three Games of Season
By Tamara Zakim
Sports Editor

Though three losses in one weekend may seem disheartening, the Pomona-Pitzer women's water polo team is anything but discouraged. After six weeks of practice, the Sagehens opened their season last Saturday with away games against Arizona State University and Cal State San Bernadino, and a home contest on Sunday against UC Irvine. Despite the respective 8-7, 11-5, and 9-3 defeats, Pomona-Pitzer displayed the promise of a deep and veteran roster, and its confidence in a winning season remains unshaken.

The Hens are led by an all-star line-up that boasts first team All-American and SCIAC Player-of-the-Year Joy Haviland '03 and 1st team All-American Lucia Schmit '03. Returning starters also expected to contribute to Hen success this season include driver Lindsay Norcott '03, goalie Morgan Sokolow PI '04 and two-meter defender Lauren Moore '05. The singular loss of starter Jacquie Cole '02 to graduation is balanced by the talents of newcomers Ashley Gucinski '06 and Lara Kruska '06. A 17-player roster, coached by Jason Gall in his sixth year at Pomona, holds a level of depth and speed that the women's water polo program has lacked in recent years.

Tentative play and second half fatigue against teams with several games under their belt proved costly for the Sagehens over the course of the weekend, though both difficulties should be easily fixable between now and the beginning of conference competition in early April.

The potential of the Pomona-Pitzer team may have been best displayed in their first contest against Division I ASU. The Devils, who have joined the ranks of D-I this year with the addition of scholarship players, jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter of the game. The Sagehens, exhibiting a case of first-game nerves, missed all of their numerous first quarter scoring attempts.

Emphasis on defense allowed the Hens to dictate the pace of the game in the second quarter and ASU was held scoreless. Haviland placed the first point on the board for Pomona-Pitzer by converting a four-meter penalty shot earned by Schmit. An ejection drawn by Moore created a six-on-five opportunity and Haviland once again found the back of the net with an outside shot drilled past the Devils' goalie, closing the first half with a score 3-2. Schmit managed to push the ball into the cage from two-meters and Haviland countered a goal by ASU with another six-on-five conversion to tie the score at 4 by the end of the third quarter.

With the final outcome up for grabs, both teams went on scoring sprees in the fourth, exchanging goal for goal for the first five minutes of the quarter. Stephanie Stewart '05 and Gucinski stepped up with big shots for the Hens, and Haviland chipped in with her fourth goal. Pomona-Pitzer held a 6-5 lead with 4 minutes to play before Arizona managed to tie the score. In an unfortunate finish, a Hen drew an ejection at half-tank with only a minute to play and the Devils capitalized on the six-on-five opportunity. Four seconds remaining on the clock were not enough for the Hens to execute a final attempt to tie the game and the victory went to ASU, 8-7.

First quarter jitters and defensive lulls aside, the Hens demonstrated the breadth of their potential against ASU with their near-perfect execution of six-on-fives, crisp passes and clean shots. Goalie Sokolow finished the game with a characteristically strong 13 saves.

Sagehen performance against Cal State San Bernadino was not nearly as stellar, however. Two goals by Haviland in the first quarter, one off an assist from Moore, and the other on a four-meter penalty earned by Blair Hendersen '04, were not enough to match CSUSB's four first quarter goals.

Better defense in the second quarter held San Bernadino to only one goal, but rushed shots by the Hens, often aimed at the goalie or over the cage, failed to generate offensive spark. Points added by the freshmen failed to bring the game within reach for Pomona-Pitzer. Gucinski successfully fired in an outside shot in the third quarter, and two lops by Kruska in the last minute of regulation ended the game with a score of 11-5.

Pomona-Pitzer struggled throughout the game with San Bernadino's gap defense; by dropping a defender down in front of the two-meter post, CSUSB created repeated occasions for counter-attacks off missed Sagehen shots. With the Hens made increasingly weary by San Bernadino's indefatigable offensive pushes up the pool, the point margin grew lopsided. Despite the ambush of counter-attacks, Sokolow came up with eight saves in the cage.

The Sagehens were confronted with the physically aggressive and speedy UC Irvine in their final game of the weekend. A goal by Schmit from two-meters and two shots by Haviland in separate six-on-five opportunities produced a 3-2 score in the Hens' favor at the end of the half.

The game was plagued by ejections, with both teams drawing eight apiece. Despite the numerous man-up occasions, the Hens managed to convert only two of their eight six-on-five situations. By the end of the third quarter, Pomona-Pitzer was visibly tired; outside shots failed to challenge the Anteater goalie, a full court press prevented the Hens from getting the ball into two meters, and pesky perimeter defense created turnovers and counter-attacks. Sokolow's 11 saves and four steals were not enough to prevent four goals by UCI in the fourth quarter, sealing the outcome of the game with a final score of 9-3.

Three losses have prompted no reason for concern in the Sagehen camp. With the season in only its inaugural stage, the Hens have ample opportunity to address their weaknesses and grown into their potential. "We know we have our work cut out for us," said Schmit, "but no one is worried."

The Hens, coming off a second place finish in SCIAC and third place honors at Nationals last year, expect to challenge defending SCIAC and National Champions Redlands in the unfolding season. If Pomona-Pitzer can step up their second half defense, overcome a pattern of first quarter timidity, and pull from the depth of talent their roster provides, the Hens have every reason to believe they can surpass last year's successes.