2008 Woodie Awards
Water polo seeks new challenges in '08
Courtney Snow, Editorial Assistant
Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: Sports
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SSU defeated the Fresno Pacific Falcons in convincing fashion for their first win of the season by a score of 16-5. Freshman Gina Uliana was given 11 saves in the goal for the Seawolves and seven SSU players scored one goal a piece in their win against the Falcons with Jessica Scott, Samantha Mullins, and Sophomore Courtney Rider each finishing the game with a hat trick.
The 2007 season saw the Seawolves finish 10th at the Western Water Polo Association Women's Championship in Santa Cruz. SSU lost to conference rival Cal State Monterey Bay in the season finale, pulling within one goal of the tie with less than a minute remaining.
There was little time for rest and relaxation amongst the women after their season ended. The Seawolves have put in months of hard work to improve their game in every aspect. "We are practicing anywhere from 3 to 4.5 hours a day to perfect our offense and defense," said freshman Geena DiFatta.
On Jan. 26, the Seawolves suffered their first loss of the season against the UC Davis Aggies, currently ranked eighth in the nation. Freshman Sarah Watt scored two goals against the tough Aggies defense, but in the end, they were still unable to come away with a victory. The final score was 17-7.
SSU also traveled to Berkeley and took on the Golden Bears of Cal, one of the most accomplished programs in women's water polo. This game proved to be a daunting task that the Seawolves could not overcome, losing 21-4.
Playing against such national powerhouses as Davis and UC Berkeley, the Seawolves are challenging themselves with the toughest non-conference schedule they've ever had.
"Our experience continues to grow as a team as we move forward playing harder teams than our team has ever played before," said junior co-captain Mullins. "It's going to be a great season creating a new name for ourselves."