May 9, 2008
2008 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship
First Round Quotes: Stanford 12, Marist 1
Stanford Head Coach John Tanner:
On his team's performance: It was fun, it was a great atmosphere.It was exciting to get started in the tournament. We've been looking forward to this for a while, the opportunity to host and compete here,and it was a great game. I was impressed by Marist, they played adynamic, mobile game that put some pressure on us in different places on our defense. Amber played great, our team defense was pretty good.
We struggled a little to score, certainly early, but we got enough opportunities and started finishing a lot better as the game went on.
Senior Driver/2M/2M-D Jacquelyn Gauthier:
On the final games of her career:
Obviously starting here and ending at Stanford, having NCAAs here is such an honor and a privilege and it's just the perfect end to my collegiate career. I'd just like to see us keep playing our game because we've improved so much throughout the season, now it's just time to show everything that we?ve learned and what we can accomplish.
On missing Jessica [Steffens]:
Someone gets hurt, someone gets a concussion, someone has shoulder problems, leaves for national team, like Jessica, which we're so excited for her, but people just step into the roles and they fill that place. It's useless to be down about it because it does nothing. We look forward and we push the entire team and the coaches push us to fill that gap.
Freshman Goalkeeper Amber Oland:
On her first experience at the NCAAs:
I definitely feel like a freshman coming into the tournament, I?m new to the whole thing. But it's great having the seniors and older players who have already been here and they've motivated us and gotten us ready. Playing that first game it didn't feel like it was that big because we were so prepared and knew what we wanted to do.
Marist Head Coach Ashleigh Jacobs:
On her team's performance:I'm proud of the team and the way they played. Obviously we're going up against the No. 2 team in the nation, going up against the No. 1 goalkeeper, a lot of outside shooting.
Stanford did well and they capitalized on our mistakes. We knew going into it if we can get on the board early it'd be a different game, unfortunately we didn't do that. But I am definitely pleased with the way the girls played, I don't think they played with any fear, I don't think they have any fear. Hopefully we'll be back here and outside of these two girls, we'll be more prepared for it.
On the growth of water polo on the East Coast:
I think before it was, just happy to get to the big show, just happy to make it and now I think that were not satisfied with that. Not only do we want to get here we also want to show that we can play the game and keep recruiting athletes and show them there is water polo outside of California.
Senior Driver Maggie Hatcher:
On the West Coast competition:
Coming to California, the MPSF is very competitive and they have the top-five teams in the nation in that conference. Just to come and kind of show that we're really here to prove what we can do, and that we can compete at this level is great for our whole team.
Senior Goalkeeper Elizabeth Davis:
On the growth of East Coast water polo. Since I've been at Marist College, in the last four years we've gotten a lot more girls from the West Coast. When I first got there, probably myself and one othergirl were the furthest west. Now we have nine girls from California.I think our reputation and our presence is growing.