April 22, 2015

No. 13 PU Women’s Water Polo at Full Strength, As It Looks to Win CWPA Tourney in Home Pool

ARMED FORCE: Princeton University women’s water polo player Ashley Hatcher shows her focus during a game this season. Senior star Hatcher scored a team-high 70 goals to help No. 13 Princeton post a 26-3 regular season record. This weekend the Tigers will be hosting the CWPA (Collegiate Water Polo Association) championships at DeNunzio Pool from April 24-26 with the winner earning a bid to the upcoming NCAA tourney.(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

ARMED FORCE: Princeton University women’s water polo player Ashley Hatcher shows her focus during a game this season. Senior star Hatcher scored a team-high 70 goals to help No. 13 Princeton post a 26-3 regular season record. This weekend the Tigers will be hosting the CWPA (Collegiate Water Polo Association) championships at DeNunzio Pool from April 24-26 with the winner earning a bid to the upcoming NCAA tourney. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Luis Nicolao was happy to see his Princeton University women’s water polo team pushed last weekend in its final action of the regular season.

Sharpening itself before it hosts the CWPA (Collegiate Water Polo Association) Championship this weekend, Princeton defeated Harvard 15-7 last Saturday morning and then came back in the afternoon to post a 9-3 win over Brown.

“We played well, it is the first time we had games the week before the CWPA (formerly the Eastern Championship),” said Princeton head coach Luis Nicolao, whose team is seeded first in the 10-team event which will be held at DeNunzio Pool from April 24-26.

“We are getting into postseason mode. The weekend before with Michigan (second seed) and Indiana (third seed) and this weekend were good, every game had an impact on the big picture and affected standings and seedings.”

Senior star Ashley Hatcher has made a major impact in her senior campaign, scoring a team-high 70 goals to help the No. 13 Tigers post a 26-3 regular season record.

“She has had an amazing year, she has an increased sense of confidence,” said Nicolao.

“She has an offensive mind and is putting shots on goal and making the most of her opportunities. Katie Rigler’s graduation has opened things up, she was the top scorer and you defer to her. Ashley has taken over the role as offensive catalyst.”

With Princeton having won 10 of its last 11 games, Nicolao believes his team is rounding into form.

“I feel good about our team, we are getting healthy again,” said Nicolao. “The last six weeks have been a roller-coaster with injuries, walking pneumonia, bronchitis. We have never had a full squad. We only had 11 girls in the water for our final practice before the Indiana game.”

While the Tigers boast plenty of firepower with five players having scored at least 27 goals in addition to Hatcher’s 70, Princeton will need to give a full effort on the defensive end to prevail at the CWPA and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tourney.

“The offensive balance is strong but we are going to have to win this with defense,” said Nicolao, whose scoring leaders include senior Jesse Holechek (46 goals), junior Pippa Temple (31), sophomore Morgan Hallock (29), freshman Haley Wan (29), and freshman Chelsea Johnson (27).

“We have Ashleigh (Johnson) back there in goal, we need to focus on shutting down teams one possession at a time because offense comes and goes.”

Pointing to a recent history of CWPA championship game nail-biters, Nicolao knows that being seeded first and hosting the event guarantees nothing.

“It is great for the home crowd and the parents but once the whistle blows there is not much of a home pool advantage,” said Nicolao, noting that his team squandered a 4-0 lead in the 2014 CWPA title game against Indiana on the way to a 11-10 loss.

“Players can’t hear much. It comes down to who gets breaks or calls and that has nothing to do with being at home. It is one game a day, 32 minutes at a time. It is like the basketball tournament, the best team doesn’t always win. I wouldn’t expect anything other than nail-biter. There are four or five teams that think they have a shot at winning and they are all right. It is who gets the ball in and makes the big plays in the fourth quarter and doesn’t make the critical mistake.”