University Southern California Trojans
No. 2 USC Opens 2008 Against No. 10 Hartwick
January 30, 2008 | Women's Water Polo
Jan. 30, 2008
THIS WEEK: The No. 2 Women of Troy kick off the 2008 season this week with their home opener set up against No. 10 Hartwick. USC hosts the Hawks in a 3:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday (Feb. 2) at McDonald's Swim Stadium, where the Trojans have built up a 38-game winning streak that dates back five full seasons.
RANKINGS: USC is ranked No. 2 in the national poll this week. Hartwick is No. 10 in the nation.
LAST SEASON: In 2007, USC finished third in the NCAA Tournament and in the MPSF Tournament, losing to eventual national champion UCLA by a single goal in the semifinals at both tournaments. The Trojans went 22-6 overall last season and were 10-2 in MPSF action. The Women of Troy also expanded their home win streak to 38 straight games with their fifth consecutive undefeated season at McDonald's Swim Stadium.
SCOUTING HARTWICK: The No. 10 Hawks open their 2008 season just hours before their clash at Troy, taking on UC Irvine in a morning match on Saturday. Hartwick went 32-10 last season, advancing to their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hawks return All-American Kirsten Hudson, who scored 86 goals as a freshman last year. USC is 5-0 all-time against Hartwick after posting a 20-5 win over the Hawks last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
WHO'S BACK: Leading the Trojans into the 2008 season are a set of four experienced seniors ¬-- Veronika Bartunkova, Miranda Nichols, Alison Riddle and Julie Spataru -- as well as 2006 All-American goalie Whitney Morgan and 2007 MPSF All-Freshman picks Forel Davies and Alexandra Kiss. Also entering another year of action at Troy are juniors Jordan Anae and Michelle Stein and sophomores Tumua Anae and Kally Lucas.
WHO'S NEW: USC has added a stack of new talent to its 2008 roster, including a set of last year's redshirt players. The Trojans' redshirt freshman are Tekla Beckmann, Shauna Letvin and Rebecca McCall. And splashing down for their first seasons at Troy as true freshmen are Kristen Dronberger, Katie Indvik, Jessica Kutcher, Stephanie Lavayen, Courtney Ray, Lindsey Urquhart and Sarah Van Norman.
