July 11, 2011
BERKELEY - After leading her California women's water polo team to its first-ever NCAA championship game this past May, junior Emily Csikos looks to take her Canadian squad to the title game of the FINA World Aquatic Championships. Water Polo Canada named Csikos to the squad that will represent the Canadians in Shanghai, China from July 16-31.
This past season, Csikos was team captain of the Cal squad that won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Csikos had 33 goals in 2011 and was named first-team All-MPSF and MPSF All-Tournament.
Last season, she became the program's first, first-team All-American since 2001 when she led Cal to a third-place national finish. In 2010, Csikos led the Bears with 69 goals in 35 matches and was first-team All-MPSF and MPSF All-Academic, as well an All-American.
At this year's Worlds, Canada is in Group B with Australia, Uzbekistan and New Zealand. The top team in each of the four pools advances directly to the quarterfinals while the second and third place finishers play a second preliminary round to grab the other four spots for the quarters.
Canada opens against Australia on July 17, then plays Uzbekistan on July 19 and New Zealand July 21. The second preliminary round is July 23, the quarters July 25, the semifinals July 27 and the medal matches July 29.
In 2009 at Worlds, the Canadian women's team took the silver in no small part due to Csikos, who scored a team-high 15 goals in seven matches. The Canadians were fifth at last year's FINA World Cup and just recently placed sixth in the FINA World League Super Final.
World Aquatic Championships web site: www.shanghai-fina2011.com/en
FINA web site: www.fina.org/H2O
Team Canada for Worlds
1) Rachel Riddell (Goalie) - Victoria, BC
2) Krystina Alogbo (Captain) - Rivière des Prairie, QC
3) Katrina Monton - Dorval, QC
4) Emily Csikos - Calgary, Alberta
5) Anna Yelizarova - Montréal, QC
6) Whitney Genoway - Regina, SK
7) Monika Eggens - Maple Ridge, BC
8) Dominique Perreault - Montréal, QC
9) Christine Robinson - Lachine, QC
10) Stephanie Valin - Pointe-Claire, QC
11) Tara Campbell - Baie D'Urfé, QC
12) Marina Radu - Pointe-Claire, QC
13) Joelle Bekhazi - Pointe-Claire QC
14) Marissa Janssens (Goalie) - Beaconsfield, QC
Head Coach: Pat Oaten - Pointe-Claire, QC
Asst. Coach: Dan Berthelette - Montréal, QC
Asst. Coach: Justin Oliveira - Pointe-Claire, QC
Asst. Coach: Gyula Toth - Calgary, AB
Manager: Jon Clarke - Beaconsfield, QC
