July 21, 2011
SHANGHAI, CHINA -
Cal junior Emily Csikos led her native Canada with a team-high four goals as the Canadian National Team defeated New Zealand, 11-4, Thursday (July 21) at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China. With the win, Team Canada goes 3-0 and wins Pool B. The top teams in each of the four pools get a bye to the quarterfinals on Monday, July 25, while second and third place squads must play an extra playoff match on Saturday.
Csikos, who on Tuesday was selected a first-team All-American for the second year in a row by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches, has now scored seven goals during the World Championships. She, along with Golden Bear teammate Katie Monton, also helped Canada to victories over Australia (10-7, July 17) and Uzbekistan (22-6, July 19).
Csikos, from Calgery, and Monton, from Montreal, were on the 2011 Cal squad that vied for the program's first-ever NCAA championship this past May 13-15 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Bears advanced to the title match before falling to Stanford, 9-5. Richard Corso's team, which earlier had captured the MPSF Tournament, finished the year 26-5.
Additionally, former Cal women's water polo standouts Heather Petri and Elsie Windes both scored for the USA National Team in the Americans' 14-4 victory over Kazakhstan Thursday. With the win, Team USA also gets a bye to the quarterfinals. Windes scored the first goal of the match for the Americans, while Petri added six assists on the day to go with her score.
Team USA advanced due to a 16-7 victory over Hungary July 19, in which Petri, who competed for the Golden Bears from 1997-99 and 2001, notched two goals and Windes, who competed for Cal from 2004-07, had one goal. On July 16, the Americans had a 7-7 draw with The Netherlands.
Petri and Windes both won silver medals with the USA women's water polo team at the 2008 Olympics. Petri lettered at Cal from 1997-99 and returned to finish her degree and eligibility in 2001. The Orinda, Calif., native earned her third Olympic medal in 2008 after taking home a bronze medal in 2004 and silver in 2000. Windes, a Portland, Ore. native, made her first Olympic appearance in 2008 after a stellar career for the Bears, earning All-America honors from 2005-07.
