2016 GCC WOMEN’S WATER POLO WEEKLY UPDATE • JAN. 28, 2016 GOLDEN COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN’S WATER POLO Jan. 28, 2016 • Release #01 Media Contact: John Shaffer • (310) 338-7643 • [email protected] TIGERS, LIONS SHARE PRESEASON NOD Annual coaches’ poll has LMU and Pacific in a tie as the preseason pick to win 2016 GCC Championship. LOS ANGELES - The 2016 women’s water polo season for the Golden Coast LAST WEEK RESULTS Conference is in full swing and senior leadership has this year’s race for the Jan. 16 9:00 AM (1) Stanford vs. (10) Pacific- 1 16-10 title a tight one. And the annual coaches’ poll reflects that as Pacific and LMU 6:45 PM (3) California @ (10) Pacific- 1 12-8 are co-picks as the favorite to win the third annual GCC championship, as Jan. 17 12:00 PM (9) UC Davis vs. (10) Pacific- 1 14-10 picked by the eight head coaches in the annual preseason poll. 4:00 PM Sonoma State vs. (10) Pacific- 1 6-14 Jan. 22 11:00 AM (20) Wagner College vs. Azusa Pacific- 2 12-6 Both LMU, the 2014 and 2015 GCC Tournament Champions, and Pacific earned 12:15 PM (19) CSUN vs. (24) California Baptist- 2 5-10 43 votes to share the top spot of the preseason poll. They narrowly edge out 3:15 PM (19) CSUN vs. Azusa Pacific- 2 14-12 San Diego State, who won the regular season title in 2014 and 2015, by two 5:45 PM (20) Wagner College vs. (24) California Baptist - 2 11-10 (OT) points. The Aztecs had 41 points and three first Jan. 23 11:15 AM (21) UC San Diego vs. Azusa Pacific- 2 15-7 place votes. Pacific also had three first place 12:30 PM (24) California Baptist @ (14) UC Santa Barbara - 2 4-10 votes while LMU had the other two. 1:00 PM CSU East Bay @ Fresno Pacific 11-9 (OT) 3:30 PM (12) Michigan vs. (24) California Baptist 15-6 Rounding out the 2016 Coaches’ Poll is Califor- 4:30 PM (5) UC Irvine vs. Azusa Pacific 15-10 1 - LouStrong Memorial - San Jose St. nia Baptist in fourth place with 32 points, Santa 2 - Winter Classic - UC Santa Barbara Clara in fifth with 25 points, Azusa Pacific with 20 points, Fresno Pacific with 12 and GCC new- COMING UP THIS WEEK comer Concordia with 8. Jan. 30 8:00 AM CUI vs. LMU - 1 8:30 AM San Diego St. @ Michigan - 2 Senior leaders highlight many of the rosters 10:30 AM Whittier vs. Azusa Pacific heading into 2016, but for Pacific youth will 10:45 AM Marist College vs. Pacific - 2 - 1 guide the Tigers into the 2016 season, led by 11:45 AM CSU Bakersfield @ California Baptist RACHEL KRIEGER sophomore Rachel Krieger and freshmen Kyra 12:00 PM Santa Clara @ CSU Monterey Bay Pacific - 1 Christmas and Viktoria Szmodics. Christmas is 1:00 PM Pomona-Pitzer vs. Fresno Pacific - 1 a member of the Canadian National Team and 2:15 PM Redlands vs. LMU - 1 scored 19 goals in the Tigers first four games of 3:30 PM CSUN vs. CUI - 2 the season. Szmodics is another international 3:30 PM Hartwick College vs. San Diego St. player that joins the Tigers’ roster from Gel- 4:45 PM CSU Bakersfield vs. Azusa Pacific - 2 seziget, Hungary. Krieger was a GCC All-Fresh- 5:45 PM UC Santa Barbara vs. Pacific - 1 man selection in 2015 after a breakout freshman 6:00 PM Whittier vs. Fresno Pacific - 1 campaign. 7:15 PM Redlands @ California Baptist Jan. 31 5:30 AM Marist College vs. San Diego St. - 2 - 2 Leading the Lions in 2016 will be some senior 7:45 AM Hartwick College vs. Pacific 11:45 AM UC Santa Barbara vs. San Diego St. - 2 leaders and some new faces. Seniors Ivana 2:15 PM Michigan @ Pacific - 2 Castro and Bridgette Alvarez will anchor the 1 - CBU Mini - Riverside, CA Lions core of experienced seniors. Castro was IVANA CASTRO 2 - Michigan Invite - Ann Arbor, MI a 2015 Honorable Mention All-American while LMU also earning first-team All-GCC honors the last COMING UP... two seasons. Alvarez anchors the Lions in the middle, scoring 27 goals and drawing 46 exclu- 2015 GCC COACHES’ POLL: sions in 2015. Newcomers Sky Flores and Hana 1. Pacific - 43 points (3 first place votes) Vilanova will also be asked to step-in to fill big LMU - 43 points (2) roles as true freshman. Flores has been a goalie 3. San Diego St. - 41points (3) for the USWNT Cadet team while Vilanova has 4. California Baptist - 32 points been a member of some of the top club teams 5. Santa Clara - 25 points in Spain. 6. Azusa Pacific - 20 points 7. Fresno Pacific - 12 points The Aztecs will look to a trio of All-Americans to lead in 2016. Caroline Israels was a 2015 Hon- orable Mention All-American and the GCC Go- CAROLINE ISRAELS San Diego St. GCC WATER POLO • WEEKLY UPDATE • WWW.GCCWATERPOLO.COM 2016 GCC WOMEN’S WATER POLO WEEKLY UPDATE • JAN. 28, 2016 Women’s Collegiate Top-20 Poll 2016 GCC Women’s Water Polo Records (As of Jan. 27, 2016) Week #2 - Jan. 27, 2016 School GCC Pct. Overall Pct. Home Away Neutral Streak Rk Team LW Pts. California Baptist 0-0 .000 1-3 .250 0-0 0-1 1-2 Lost 3 1 Stanford University 1 97 Pacific 0-0 .000 1-3 .250 0-1 0-0 1-2 Won 1 2 UCLA 2 96 CUI 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 0-0 0-0 3 USC 3 94 LMU 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 University of Hawaii 7 86 San Diego St. 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 0-0 0-0 5 Arizona State University 6 84 Santa Clara 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 0-0 0-0 6 University of California 4 81 Fresno Pacific 0-0 .000 0-1 .000 0-1 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 7 University of Michigan 12 74 Azusa Pacific 0-0 .000 0-4 .000 0-0 0-0 0-4 Lost 4 8 San Jose State 8 67 9 UC Davis 9 66 Player of the Year. She led the team in goals with 61 and added 10 UC Irvine 5 63 53 steals. Alyssa Diacono and Rachel Mitchell were 2014 Honor- 11 UC Santa Barbara 13 60 able Mention All-Americans. Diacono ranked third on the team 12 University of the Pacific 10 57 in goals with 33 a year ago and was on the GCC All-Tournament Team in 2015. Mitchell made 262 saves in goal a year ago and is 13 (T) Indiana University 14 46 a two-time All-GCC performer. 13 (T) Princeton University 11 46 15 San Diego State 16 43 Santa Clara will be paced by four seniors in 2016, Elle Surber, 16 Loyola Marymount 15 41 Elizabeth Anderson, Erin Sheridan and Sydni Estrella. Surber 17 Hartwick College 18 35 was second on team in goals last year with 49, led team in as- ELLE SURBER sists with 44 and in steals with 51. Anderson was third on team in 18 (T) Wagner College 20 34 Santa Clara 18 (T) UC San Diego 21 34 goals last year with 43 and led the team in earned ejections (64). Sheridan is the Broncos primary sprinter and had 22 goals and 20 Long Beach State 17 22 31 assists in 2015. Returning in goal for Santa Clara is Estrella, 21 CSU Bakersfield RV 19 who had 237 saves and 21 steals last year. 22 (T) Harvard University 22 16 22 (T) California Baptist 24 16 A trio of seniors will lead California Baptist into 2016. Hannah 24 Marist College 23 10 Evans was the 2015 NCAA Division II Players of the Year, leading 25 CSU Northridge 19 8 the NCAA in goals with 120. Senior Laura Kocsis, who led the RV: CSU East Bay, California Lutheran, team in goals in 2014, returns to action after sitting last season Washington & Jefferson, due to injury. She is 12th on CBU’s all-time record list for assists Mercyhurst, Bucknell, Brown, Santa Clara (89) and seventh on the all-time record list for goals (200). In net HANNAH EVANS California Baptist will be senior Meghan Rowland, a 2015 All-GCC Honorable Men- tion selection. 2016 GCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK Feb. 3 Azusa Pacific will be paced by 2015 GCC Newcomer of the Year Alba Espinar. The senior posted four consecutive hat-trick in the Feb. 10 opening weekend, all coming against top-20 ranked opponents. Sophomore Britt Harris was a GCC All-Freshman selection in Feb. 17 2015 and her all-around play will be key for APU in 2016. Feb. 24 Another batch of seniors will lead Fresno Pacific in 2016. Senior Emily Marr was a GCC Honorable Mention selection, scoring 27 ALBA ESPINAR Mar. 2 goals. Senior Nia Apodaca played in 32 games for the Sunbirds, Azusa Pacific Mar. 9 scoring 14 goals, with 25 assists and 34 steals. Senior Kaeli Han- son appeared in 32 games for the Sunbirds in 2015, scoring 23 Mar. 16 goals while leading the team with 28 drawn ejections on the sea- son. Mar. 23 A base of youth will lead Concordia in their first season within Mar. 30 the Golden Coast Conference.