ONEONTA, NY- The #17 ranked women's water polo team enters the CWPA Eastern Championships as the #3 seed in the three-day tournament which begins this Friday at the University of Michigan's Canham Natatorium. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Hartwick will be in search of its first Eastern title since 2007 and fourth overall since the program's inception.
The Hawks will play on Friday at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals against the winner of #6 seed Harvard and #11 seed Notre Dame College (OH). A Hartwick win would move the Hawks into the semifinal round on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against either #2 seed Princeton, #7 George Washington or #10 Gannon.
'Wick is 27-1 lifetime against the Crimson. The only loss came last year in Cambridge where Harvard pulled out a 12-11 victory in overtime.
Hartwick is 4-0 against the Notre Dame Falcons. The Hawks won both meetings this season by identical scores of 15-5. The victories came on March 2 at the Marist Tournament and two weeks ago at the Western Divisional Championships.
“We know what we have with Notre Dame and we feel we match up well with Harvard,” said Hartwick head coach
Alan Huckins. As for the 12-team field, Huckins thinks one of the four top teams, Hartwick, Indiana, Princeton, or Michigan, can win it all.
Offensively, Hartwick is led by
Sami Capparelli (Miami, FL). The junior leads the team with 132 goals and has already set a new season record for goals scored. Capparelli also has 33 drawn kick-outs which leads the team.
“Sami has stepped up for us this year and our offense revolves around her,” Huckins noted. “She has capitalized on all the opportunities she has been given.”
Huckins credits senior
Lily Martinez (Commerce, CA) (25g, 42a, 67 pts) as the offensive leader who directs the attack with Capparelli benefiting from that leadership.
Jemma Dendy Young (Cape Town, South Africa) is one of the top defenders on the squad. For the second straight year, she has led 'Wick in steals (84). She also is a threat offensively with 61 goals which ranks second on the team. She has also won over 90% of her sprints with her speed being her biggest advantage.
Center defenders
Britt Tait (Kairong, Australia) and
Natalie Seabourn (Auckland, New Zealand) anchor the defense and have combined for 47 steals.
Michaela Davies (Cronulla, Australia) has been solid in goal since arriving to the team in mid-February. She had an impressive debut for the Hawks as she stopped 14 shots in Hartwick's 8-7 win over then #12 Indiana on February 16. Davies has started a total of 22 games with 498 minutes in goal and has 147 saves. Huckins has confidence in both her and
Haley Cox (El Segundo, CA) patrolling the cage.
The Hawks won the CWPA Eastern title in 2004, 2006 and 2007. In the history of the CWPA Eastern Championship, only four other active teams have taken home the crown. Defending champion Princeton (2012, 2000), Indiana (2011, 2003), Michigan (2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2002), and Brown (2001) join former league members Massachusetts (1999, 1998), Maryland (1997) and Slippery Rock (1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988) in the record books.
