April 20, 2004
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
No. 2 Stanford (17-3/9-1) at No. 11 San Jose State (14-14/4-6)
Friday, April 23, 2004 * 4 p.m. PT * San Jose, Calif.
STANFORD SEASON UPDATE:
* - No. 2 Stanford has posted a 17-3 record this season and holds second place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a 9-1 league record.
* - Last weekend, the Cardinal downed No. 3 UCLA 5-3 in Los Angeles ... Stanford scorers included Laurel Champion, Alison Gregorka, Katie Hansen, Christina Hewko and Kelty Luber ... Goalie Meridith McColl tallied five saves.
* - Senior 2-meter defender Wendy Watkins leads Stanford with 25 goals this season, followed by junior Hannah Luber with 23 scores ...Watkins ranks No. 21 in the conference with 1.25 goals per game.* - GK McColl leads the MPSF with 4.31 goals against per game.
MPSF PLAYER of the WEEK:
* - Freshman goalkeeper Meridith McColl earned MPSF Player of the Week honors for her defense in Stanford's 5-3 win over UCLA last weekend.
* - McColl tallied five saves and held the Bruins to three goals, including no goals scored during the second and third periods.
* - 2004 Players of the Week: USC Moriah Van Norman (Feb. 8), UC Irvine Sunceray Chamblee (Feb. 15), SDSU Holly Hartzell (Feb. 22), UCLA Kristina Kunkel (Feb. 29), USC Erika Figge (Feb. 29), UCLA Lauren Heineck (March 7), SDSU Sandy Onweller (March 14), Stanford Wendy Watkins (March 21), USC Moriah Van Norman (March 28), USC Kelly Graff (April 4), LBSU Cassie Azevedo (April 4), UCLA Emily Feher (April 11), Stanford Meridith McColl (April 18), LBSU Angelica Garcia (April 18).
SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE:
* - No. 11 San Jose State has tallied a 14-14 overall record this season and is tied for seventh place with California in the MPSF standings with a 4-6 league record.
* - Last weekend, the Spartans fell to UCLA 9-4, and beat UC Santa Barbara 6-4.
* - SJSU is led in scoring by junior Laura Scott with 41 goals in 28 games this season, followed by sophomore Angela Riddle with 33 scores.
THE TALE of TANNER:
* - John Tanner's squad has competed in the NCAA title match in each of the past three years of the Tournament's existence and has been ranked in the top-3 every season.
* - Last season, Tanner was named the 2003 MPSF Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after guiding his squad to a first-place finish in the MPSF Tournament and a second-place finish in the NCAA Tournament ... The Cardinal wrapped up the season with a 21-3 overall record.
* - In 2002, he led the Cardinal to its first-ever NCAA Championship.
* - Was named the 1998 MPSF Coach of the Year in his first season with Stanford.
* - Tanner has been involved with United States Water Polo in various aspects from 1988 to the present.
* - Tanner competed on the Stanford men's water polo team from 1978-82 ... He was part of a team that garnered three national championships and earned All-America honors his senior year.
STANFORD HOSTS 2004 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
* - Stanford University will be the host site for the 2004 Women's Water Polo Championship May 8-9 at the Avery Aquatic Center.
* - The MPSF champion, along with the conference champions from the Western and Collegiate Water Polo Associations will gain automatic berthes into the four-team field of the NCAA Championship.
* - One at large-team will be chosen by the NCAA Women's Water Polo Committee.