Hoosiers take second straight division title

In a weekend set that included two wins against ranked opponents and the end of a nine-game win streak, the No. 19 IU water polo team captured its second-straight Collegiate Water Polo Association Western Division regular season title.\nThe team finished the weekend with three wins and a lone loss to No. 7 San Diego State University to extend its overall record to 14-8 and 7-0 in the CWPA Western Division conference.\nThe Hoosiers began the weekend against Michigan and avenged their February 4 loss with a 6-4 victory in Ann Arbor. The victory clinched the CWPA Western Division regular season title.\n"The Michigan game was very important because just to play them and beat them was a huge step for us coming up toward the end of the season where we're going to have to play another important game against Michigan in the Eastern finals," said junior Brooke Zimmerman.\nAfter falling behind 1-0 in the first 30 seconds, the Hoosiers responded with two goals of their own to end the first period, but fell behind again at the half 4-3. \nThe Wolverines wouldn't score again.\nIU held Michigan scoreless in the second half and added three goals of its own. Senior Janis Pardy scored the eventual game-winner, her second goal of the night and 28th of the season.\nThe next day, a 10-9 victory against No. 18 Cal-State Northridge University gave the Hoosiers a nine-game win streak, which was quickly broken with a loss to San Diego State. The loss marked the second Hoosier loss to the Aztecs, this time by a final of 12-5.\n"Against San Diego State, I think that we just kind of lost control of the game," junior Melissa Soria said. "We just started to shut down as a team. We weren't getting our shots in, and it just wasn't our best \nperformance."\nThe Hoosiers started off the day by taking care of Cal-State Northridge. Soria scored four goals -- her second hat trick of the season -- to lead the Hoosiers over the Matadors while Pardy added another three goals.\nIU was unable to extend its win streak, as the team fell to an early 3-1 deficit at the end of the first period and ended the half down 5-3.\nWhile the Hoosiers only lost by two in their first meeting with San Diego State, the Aztecs scored seven goals to the Hoosiers' two in the second half to ensure their second victory over IU this season.\n"I think that it's going to help us improve better," Soria said. "It's definitely a learning experience. Basically, you have to go into every game and work you're hardest so that you can't slack off at any point during these games."\nAfter having been handed its first loss in four weeks, IU started off with an 11-3 cushion through the first three periods against California Baptist University. The Lancers scored four goals in the final period, but they weren't enough as the Hoosiers held on for a 13-7 victory.\nNine Hoosiers scored in the match against California Baptist, including a hat trick for Zimmerman and a pair of goals each for Pardy and junior Kara Woolley.\nThe Hoosiers will host the Fluid Five Tournament, their first home tournament of the season, this weekend when they play Michigan for the second straight week and the third time this season. IU will finish the tournament with matches against Wagner College and Marist College.\n"We're going to need to keep our focus in games and in practice," Zimmerman said. "We have an upcoming tournament this weekend, and we need to win all of our games and just stay positive and keep the \nchemistry going"