Goalie wins national weekly accolade

Over a four game span at last weekend's Princeton Invitational the women's water polo team scored a total of 35 goals en route to a tournament championship. \nWith all the goals being scored it could be easy for the Hoosiers to simply credit their offense for their four game win streak. Yet the defense is stepping up at the right time and has become a dominant force for the Hoosiers. \n"The defense was great at the Princeton Invitational," sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Goldner said. "Everybody was good and we shut down a lot of good teams".\nThe Hoosiers have climbed to a tie for No. 12 in the National Polls with University of California Santa Barbara whom the Hoosiers beat last weekend, 9-7. \n"Any time you can average such a low amount of goals we can put ourselves in position to win a lot of games," Coach Barry King said. "After the Stanford Invitational defense was really our focus."\nIn the Collegiate Water Polo Association the Hoosiers are in a tie for first with rival Michigan. Although the Hoosiers have scored a lot of goals recently they have also only given up 15, outscoring their opponents by twenty goals in the last four games. \n"The first tournament was a little rough," Goldner said. "But Princeton was a lot better, and we all played a lot better defensively."\nOn the defensive side of the ball Goldner and junior two meter defender Kristy Streefkerk have been dominant in shutting down opponents this year. \n"Jessica had a really super weekend, it was a discovery weekend for her," King said. "She really found out how good she can be."\nOn Friday, it was announced that Goldner was named the CPWA player of the week for the Southern Division. At the Princeton Invitational Goldner stopped 35 of 48 shots for a .729 save percentage. Against Harvard Goldner stopped a perfect 13 of 13 shots but was pulled late in the fourth quarter to give freshman Bridget McKeon some playing time and experience at goal. \nIn high school Goldner earned numerous accolades in her hometown of Stanford, Calif. She was named most valuable goaltender of the Central Coast Section in 1999 and 2000, was fifth team NISCA All American in 2000 and fourth team All American in 2001. As well, Goldner was named MVP of Gunn High in 1999 and 2000. \nIn her first year at Indiana Goldner shared playing time with senior Kristin Mayberry while playing in 29 of the Hoosier's 37 games. On the year Goldner stopped 144 of 340 shots for a .424 save percentage. \nAlthough Goldner has been magnificent in goal for the Hoosiers all year she is not without help in front of her. Streefkerk has been dominating and shutting down opponents all year,often times taking the tough assignment of guarding the other team's best player. \n"She's been playing really well and she holds the two meter defense to no scoring," Goldner said. Streefkerk, a junior from Vernon, British Columbia, scored 28 goals last season while also recording 21 steals and 12 assists. Freshman year Streefkerk had 19 goals, 16 assists and 25 steals while playing in all but two of the Hoosiers' matches. \n"Kristy is starting to get in shape and really fill the role that we had in mind for her at the beginning of the season," King said. "She is a physical player and she shuts down the other teams two meter player"