GW Women's Water Polo Embarks on West Coast Trip
3/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 13, 2012
WASHINGTON - The George Washington women's water polo team sets out on its annual spring break West Coast trip this week and will take on six teams in a four-day span from March 14-17.
First up for the Colonials (4-5) is Concordia University-Irvine on Wednesday, March 14, at 3 p.m. EDT, in Irvine, Calif. The Eagles (12-7) are coming off a 3-1 weekend at the Claremont Convergence and have won five of their last six games. GW is 0-2 all-time against Concordia, including a 10-7 loss in Irvine, Calif., in 2010.
The Colonials next will take on Whittier College on Thursday, March 15, at 9 p.m. EDT, in Whittier, Calif. Ranked seventh in Division III, the Poets (8-12) have won four of their last six contests after splitting a pair of home matches against Harvard and VMI on Monday. GW is 3-1 all-time against Whittier, including a 9-7 win in La Verne, Calif., in 2010.
GW will then head to Riverside, Calif., for the Lancer Invite, hosted by California Baptist, on Friday, March 16. The Colonials will take on Marist at 12 p.m. EDT, then will face VMI at 5:45 p.m. EDT. The Marist Red Foxes (4-14) are coming off a 2-2 weekend at their own Marist Invite. GW is 1-6 all-time against Marist, but the teams have not met since the 2009 ECAC Championship, a 7-5 loss for the Colonials. The VMI Keydets are 1-5 in their first-ever varsity season, but they have lost five in a row, including a 14-2 decision at Whittier on Monday.
The Colonials conclude their West Coast swing with a pair of games on Saturday, March 17. GW will visit University of Redlands at 12 p.m. EDT, in Redlands, Calif., before heading an hour southwest to Orange, Calif., to take on Chapman University. Ranked third in Division III, the Redlands Bulldogs (7-5) have won three in a row following an 11-7 win over Siena on Monday. The Colonials are 1-5 all-time against the Bulldogs, most recently dropping a 10-9 decision in 2010. The Chapman Panthers (7-6) are ranked sixth in Division III and are coming off a 2-2 weekend at the Claremont Convergence. GW won its only previous meeting with Chapman, 14-7, in 2009.
GW Notebook
No Place Like Home: Eight Colonials will be returning to their home state this week, including sophomores Katherine Berry and Rachael Bentley, who will be playing in their hometown of Riverside when GW takes on Marist and VMI in the Lancer Invite on Friday.
Helping Hand: Bentley ranks second in the NCAA among teams reporting with 1.44 assists per game, just ahead of senior Monica Hanson, who is third with 1.38 helpers per contest. Bentley leads GW with 13 assists this season, while Hanson is second with 11. Hanson recently matched the single-game school record previously set by Bentley and two others with six assists against Siena on Feb. 25.
One-Two Punch: Berry and sophomore Megan Brolley are two of just eight players in the nation among teams reporting who are averaging at least 2.0 goals per game. They have each scored a team-best 18 goals through nine games this season.
Stolen Goods: Berry also ranks 10th in the NCAA among teams reporting with 1.89 steals per game. She leads the Colonials with 17 steals on the year.
Block Party: In just her second collegiate season, Berry is already tied for fifth all-time at GW with 16 career field blocks. She set a program single-game record with four blocks against Bucknell on March 3 at the Harvard Invitational, and her eight blocks on the season match her total from the entire 2011 campaign, which ranked third in school history.
Career Field Blocks
Marissa Stamler, 24, 2007-10
Jenna Burnett, 22, 2004-07
Kira Canon, 18, 2001-04
Kiersten Johnson, 17, 2000-03
Tara Sullivan, 16, 2007-10
Katherine Berry, 16, 2011-Pres.
Single-Season Field Blocks
Marissa Stamler, 13, 2009
Jenna Burnett, 9, 2007
Katherine Berry, 8, 2011
Katherine Berry, 8, 2012
4 Players Tied, 7
Drawing the Line: Senior Megan Walker ranks third all-time at GW with 171 career ejections drawn and fourth with 16 career penalties drawn. This season, Walker leads the Colonials with 32 ejections drawn.
Career Ejections Drawn
Vanessa Fravel, 234, 2001-04
Emily Chereson, 194, 2007-10
Megan Walker, 171, 2009-Pres.
Greta Pedraza, 108, 2005-08
Kiersten Johnson, 106, 2004-07
Career Penalties Drawn
Vanessa Fravel, 42, 2001-04
Heather Walenga, 21, 2000-01
Emily Chereson, 17, 2007-10
Megan Walker, 16, 2009-Pres.
Ashley Pyka, 14, 2000-03
