Wins Mark a Polo Presence in Pool

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

The Middlebury women's water polo team has gotten off to the best start in its history by collecting two solid wins in the opening tournament of the season two weeks ago. As the team prepares for the upcoming tournaments in the New England division of the National Collegiate Water Polo Association, it hopes to build on its results from its first two years of existence.

Games consist of seven-minute quarters with teams of six players and one goalie a side. One of the most difficult aspects of water polo is that catches and throws must be made with one hand only. A premium is put on both strong upper and lower body strength in this demanding sport.

Led by club president Margot Herwood '03 and Coach Brian Goodwin the Panthers play a season just over a month in length consisting of three tournaments. Middlebury hosts a tournament in the Natatorium in the coming weeks in which competitive rivals such as Wesleyan, Yale and Dartmouth come to play.

Earlier this year the team beat Wesleyan for the first win of the year. In the dominating performance the women then discarded Holy Cross in an easy win. Matching up with teams like Dartmouth and Yale, who have had established water polo clubs for years remains a challenge for the team.

The squad's hard and steadfast goalie is Sarah Weston '03, who is new to the position but is already helping in shutting down opposing offenses. Herwood sees Weston retaining the position throughout the season. Bringing competitive swimming experience to the water polo team is Jen Watters '03 who powers the attack. "Our style of play is fast and counterattacking," Herwood said. "Jen has as much to do with that as anybody."

Whether counterattacking or relying on goaltending the Panthers find themselves in good stead heading into the second tournament of the year. The program has started to mature and attract water polo players as well as swimmers. For the first time the team looks to conquer new opponents and finish on the plus side with a positive, winning record. Right now the Panthers stand 2-2.