Water polo team reaches best start since 2004 season

The No. 9 IU women’s water polo team went 3-1 during the weekend at the second tournament for the Hoosiers this season.

The highlight came Sunday when IU squeaked out two matches versus ranked opponents, helping begin the season 5-2, the team’s best record since 2004.

“It was great to see us face some adversity late in contests against
quality teams and come out with wins,” IU Coach Barry King said in an interview with IU Athletics. “We made some timely plays, especially late in the UCSB game, that gave us some momentum heading into the overtime, and we got it done.”

In IU’s first game against Concordia, sophomore Shae Fournier continued her hot start to the season as she tied her career high with four goals, matching the total of Concordia in the entire game.

At the start of the second half with Indiana leading 4-2, the Hoosiers went on a four-goal run — two goals courtesy of Fournier — as IU broke away and finished the
game 9-4.

“I was pleased with our defensive effort for the majority of the contest,” King said.

A fast start for No. 7 University of California at Irvine in the team’s second game proved costly for IU.

With four consecutive first-quarter goals, the Anteaters controlled the momentum all game, with the closest Indiana deficit at four goals.

Down six midway through the third quarter, the Hoosiers were able to score two goals to cut the lead, but a late Irvine strike ended IU’s day at 9-4 and dropped it to 3-2 through five games.

Senior goalkeeper Cassie Wyckoff set a career-high 18 saves on 39 shots in an 8-7
victory against No. 19 California State University at Northridge.

Sophomore Amanda Redfern, who was playing in her hometown, scored two goals in the final 2:37 to clinch a nail-biter against CSUN.

The Hoosiers were challenged in their final game of the tournament, facing No. 19 host University of California at Santa Barbara. Fournier and freshman Colleen McNaught, who has had significant production in her short time so far at IU, each recorded hat tricks in an 8-6 overtime win.

Tied at six going into the extra two three-minute sessions, senior Hannah Eimstad netted a clutch strike to put Indiana up one after the first 180 seconds.

Redfern sealed another tough battle for IU, notching a goal on a 6-4 advantage to end the tournament with back-to-back wins.

The Hoosiers will be back in the water Feb. 11 when IU heads back to California for the Triton Invitational.