Women's Water Polo #1 in Nation
By Tamara Zakim
Staff Writer

Though revenge may have been inspiration enough for the Sagehens, Pomona-Pitzer's dominance over the Redland Bulldogs last Saturday was more than a long-awaited answer to years of disappointing losses at the hands of the SCIAC water polo powerhouse.

The sound 5-2 Bulldog defeat catapulted the Sagehen team into the first place spot in Division III national rankings, proving that the only thing sweeter than revenge is being number one. The win gave the Hens their first victory over the Bulldogs in over seven years, and has set the bar high for the team's nine remaining conference games. Despite a plague of ejections and streaky shooting, Pomona-Pitzer protected their lead the entire game in a win that fuels hopes for further success in SCIAC and Nationals.

The opening three minutes of the game were marked by scoreless back-and-forth play, with each team pressing the ball aggressively on defense and forcing possessions to the final seconds of the shot clock. Pomona-Pitzer was afforded several opportunities to score; consecutive steals by Sagehen goalie Morgan Sokolow '04 fueled counter-attacks against the Bulldogs. However, it was team captain Joy Haviland '03 who put the first point on the board for the Hens with 3:29 left in the quarter. Patient half-tank offense gave Haviland a clear look at the goal, and a powerful outside shot into the left corner of the Redlands cage gave Pomona-Pitzer a 1-0 lead.

The recent Sagehen struggle against a pattern of offensive inconsistency and poor shooting made itself evident throughout the game against Redlands; both teams took an array of outside shots that careened off the goal posts and repetitively sailed over the top of the nets. Unable to reliably convert offensively, emphasis on defense ultimately made the difference for Pomona-Pitzer. The ability to stop their opponents' transition game and to shut down Redlands' go-to player Sarah Rosenberger at two-meters were instrumental in clinching the win. A goal by Redlands with less than a minute left in the first quarter tied the score at 1, but the Bulldogs would fail to tie the game again.

Two ejections on starting two-meter defender Lauren Moore '05 were cause for concern early in the second quarter, and although the number of shots taken by the Sagehens far outnumbered those taken by their rivals, scoring attempts continued to land wide of the Redlands goal. Whole-set Lucia Schmit finally secured another Sagehen lead with 1:32 left in the first half, however, by taking advantage of Redlands' collapsing defense. With three opponents eager to strip her of the ball, Schmit recognized an out-of-position goalie, and softly lopped the ball over the heads of her attackers into the back of the net for a score of 2-1.

An ejection against Pomona-Pitzer only seconds into the third quarter presented Redlands with a much-needed 6-on-5 situation. Hopes of converting the advantage were quickly denied by goalie Sokolow, however, who started the game after a two-game absence due to a dislocated finger. Sokolow produced two massive back-to-back blocks and as the shot clock was running down in the following possession, Blair Henderson '04 produced a beautiful outside shot that sailed by the outstretched arms of the Bulldog goalie. With 4:35 left in the third, the score was raised to 3-1 in Sagehen favor.

Henderson came up with another big play minutes later when she grabbed the rebounding ball off a missed Redlands' counter-attack attempt and earned an ejection from the foul of a frustrated opponent. The anguish of the Redlands team was made apparent when the Redlands coach yelled in frustration at his players, "Come on, do we want this?" Pomona-Pitzer was unable to capitalize on the 6-on-5 opportunity however, and two more ejections against Moore and Schmit put a damper on Sagehen momentum.

The Pomona-Pitzer team refused to give up their mental edge, and steals by Haviland and Ashley Gucinski '06 cut short any attempts by Redlands to rally late in the quarter. A blistering counter-attack pass from Henderson to Toby Branz '05 in the frontcourt gave the Hens a two-on-one; Branz returned to ball to Henderson who completed the play and upped the lead to 4-1.

Mental lapses by Pomona-Pitzer in the form of sloppy passes prompted a Redlands counterattack with only 20 seconds left in the third to close the quarter with a score of 4-2. Shots by the Hens continued to hit the posts of the Redlands goal cage in frustrating fashion and again, the team fell back on defensive execution to protect their lead.

Steals by Haviland and Schmit proved key, and with 44 seconds remaining in regulation, Branz earned an ejection and was fed a perfectly placed pass by Haviland in the 6-on-5 to complete the final goal of the game. Sagehen fans, having filled the bleachers close to capacity for the duration of the game, jumped to their feet in celebration. Branz's goal pounded the final nails into the Redlands' coffin.

The post-game smile on Coach Jason Gall's face was enough to capture his delight with the win. Gall, in his seven years of coaching at Pomona-Pitzer, had yet to defeat the Redlands in regular or post-season play. Defense, according to Gall, was the determining factor in the victory. "We've been talking about defense all year. Redlands is a great offensive team and it was up to us to keep control of the ball."

The Hens are now 9-6 overall, 1-0 in SCIAC; tomorrow morning they face CMS away in another tough conference match-up. While Gall admits that last Saturday's success was important, "We can't get too excited. We still have nine more games to play."