Hoosiers take weekend set, improve to 11-7 overall

Before this weekend, the IU water polo team was a combined 38-0 all-time against the six schools it would face over the weekend. By Sunday's end, it was 44-0.\nThe No. 19 Hoosiers opened Collegiate Water Polo Association Western Division play with six wins to extend their record to 11-7 while outscoring their opponents 75-23.\n"We played really well as a team," said freshman Maggie Hannon. "Everyone was able to get in and play this weekend where we all meshed really well together."\nThroughout the weekend, the Hoosiers relied on a combined team effort, as coach Barry King let some of his seldom-used players get a chance to compete.\n"This weekend was really nice because a lot of the players who don't get as much playing time were able to step up and play really well, which was very nice to see," Hannon said.\nIU opened the weekend with a 15-5 win over Gannon University where three Hoosiers -- senior Janis Pardy, junior Kristin Zernicke and freshman Martha Schuessler -- finished the game with hat tricks. For Schuessler, her three goals against Gannon were the first in her career as a Hoosier.\nThe next day, the Hoosiers defeated Grove City University (10-3), Slippery Rock University (11-3) and Washington & Jefferson University (12-2). Throughout the day, the Hoosiers collected three more hat tricks. Against Grove City, Pardy recorded four assists as well as four steals. It was her third four-assist game of the season.\nJunior Brooke Zimmerman, fresh off of her CWPA Western Division Player of the Week award, added her fourth hat trick of the season against Slippery Rock and two more goals against Washington & Jefferson.\nAs the tournament came to a close Sunday, the Hoosiers added two more victories, including a 14-6 win over Mercyhurst University and against Penn State-Behrend, 13-4. Hannon recorded her first hat trick of the season, while Zimmerman added her fifth.\n"We were able to do the things that we've been working on in practice really well," King said. "We weren't out there just to 'out-talent' people."\nWhile the Hoosiers have a week off, they are looking toward their rematch against Michigan on March 25. The Hoosiers lost to Michigan 11-7 on Feb. 4.\n"It's huge," Hannon said of the rivalry with Michigan. "The last time we played them, we had a rough weekend. After the past few weeks of practice, we feel really good about it and we're just as excited to play them."\nIn order to beat Michigan in two weeks, the team is going to have to continue its strong play, even on the defensive end, King said.\n"We're going to need to continue to play good, solid team defense -- we need to refine that even more," King said. "But even more importantly, I think we need to finish off our opportunities when we get them. Right now we're about 50-50 in converting some of those opportunities into goals and we need to make that more of a certainty"