April 19, 2005
BERKELEY, CA -
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Sat., Apr. 23 Stanford, Spieker Aquatics Complex 7 p.m.
Sun., Apr. 24 Pacific, Spieker Aquatics Complex 12 p.m.
BEARS HOST CARDINAL AND TIGERS: No. 7-ranked Cal (14-8, 5-5 in MPSF) entertains No. 3 Stanford (16-5, 7-3) in The Big Splash Saturday night, and Pacific (11-17, 2-8) noon Sunday at Spieker Aquatics Complex to complete the regular season before hosting the MPSF Tournament, Apr. 28-May 1. Saturday's match is part of the Lexus Gauntlet series, a contest between Cal and Stanford to determine which university will have the most success against its rival in head-to-head competition this year. The Golden Bears, who have won their last two matches in overtime (10-9 versus UC Santa Barbara Apr. 10, 9-8 at San Jose State Apr. 17), are looking to finish the regular season on a high note in order to gain their best possible seed entering the MPSF Tournament. Cal is 4-1 in matches played at Spieker Aquatics Complex this season, with their only loss being to top-ranked UCLA, and own a all-time home mark of 47-14 (.770) in 10 seasons. The Bears, sixth in the MPSF standings, will be playing a Stanford squad that is fifth in the MPSF and are looking to upend the Cardinal for the first time since a 6-3 victory at Stanford on Mar. 26, 2000. Cal is currently fifth in the MPSF in team scoring, averaging 8.4 goals per game, while Stanford is fourth at 9.2 goals per game. The Bears have not played Pacific this season as well, but defeated the Tigers in the last meeting, 13-3, Apr. 24, 2004 in Stockton. One of Cal's top victories in 2005 was topping Loyola Marymount, 8-4, Feb. 18 in Los Angeles. The Lions were the 2004 national runners-up.
WINDES AND GOLD PACE CAL: Cal's top player is sophomore Elsie Windes. Windes, an honorable mention All-American as a freshman and a member of the gold medal-winning USA Junior National Team, leads the team with 42 goals and is ninth in the MPSF with 1.91 goals per game. She had a season-high five goals in Cal's overtime victory at San Jose State, and has already tallied 75 goals in less than two years. Junior Allison Gold is second on the team with 32 goals (19th in the MPSF, 1.45 goals per game) after an impressive weekend versus No. 1-ranked UCLA and No. 9 UC Santa Barbara, Apr. 9-10. Gold led the Bears with three goals against the top-ranked Bruins and had two goals in Cal's 10-9 overtime victory versus the Gauchos. She has recorded 80 career goals after finishing third on the team last year with 26 goals. Windes and Gold scored overtime goals in the victory at San Jose State. Cal has had 13 other players score this season, including junior Lauren McGee, with 17 goals, including the match-winning goal in overtime versus UC Santa Barbara. The Bears primary goalie has been junior Alex Feune de Colombi (19 matches, 121 saves), who is averaging 6.37 saves per game. Feune de Colombi recorded a career-high 11 saves at Hawaii Mar. 23.
NOTING STANFORD AND PACIFIC: No. 3 Stanford (16-5, 7-3) is coached by John Tanner (seventh year) and led by sophomore Katie Hansen with 32 goals. Last weekend, the Cardinal lost to No. 1 UCLA, 7-5, but defeated No. 14 UC Davis, 12-5. Pacific (11-17, 2-8) is coached by Ryan Brown (fourth year) and the Tigers' top scorer is senior Jessica Schroeder, who leads the MPSF with 74 goals (2.64 gpg. Last weekend, Pacific went 1-3 at the Long Beach State Tournament.
BEARS HOST 2005 MPSF TOURNAMENT: Cal hosts the 2005 MPSF Tournament, Apr. 28-May 1 at Spieker Aquatics Complex. The MPSF champ gets an automatic bid into the eight-team NCAA Tournament May 13-15 at Michigan. The Bears last competed in the national championship in 2000 when it was a 16-team tournament, placing fourth. Cal was national runners-up from 1996-1998.
Amber Drury-Pinto (91-53-1, .631), is in her third season as Cal's women's water polo coach (45-29, .608), leading the Golden Bears to a 17-12 mark last year, including winning five of their last six matches. Drury-Pinto coached Michigan to a 25-13 record, a CWPA Eastern championship and a berth in the 2002 NCAA Final Four, prior to being selected as the Cal women's water polo coach Sept. 4, 2002. In two seasons with the Wolverines, she compiled a 46-24-1 overall record (.655). In the summer of 2002, Drury-Pinto led the USA Junior National Team to a gold medal at the 2002 Junior Pan American Championship. Drury-Pinto has extensive water polo experience as a player and a coach. She was a member of the USA National Team from 1984-94, playing in over 30 international tournaments and competing for the United States at the 1990 and 1994 World Championships. In 1991 and 1994, Drury-Pinto was named United States Women's Water Polo Player of the Year.
Did You Know?
*At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Cal had three former players (Ericka Lorenz, Heather Petri, Courtney Johnson) and a assistant coach (Bernice Orwig, starting goalie) compete for the United States in the first-ever Olympic water polo competition for women, earning a silver medal. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Lorenz and Petri helped the United States to a bronze medal.
*The Golden Bears have compiled a 225-80 record (.738) since their charter season as a varsity sport in 1996, including three straight national runner-up finishes from 1996-98 and a MPSF title in 1999.
