May 10, 2008
2008 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship
Game #8 - USC 10, Stanford 6
Stanford Head Coach John Tanner
On the game:
"I was really pleased with how we played, and I thought in the first quarter we had a lead and really, a lot of momentum. We were playing well, we had great possessions, really great opportunities, and then to give the ball away on an offensive foul and give up the late goal was unfortunate. But I still felt we were playing really well, getting it back to 5-4 late in the third quarter, we really had things going and were getting back into the game, in spite of some really good shooting [by USC].
"Their 6-on-5 execution and shooting, from that late third to the fourth, I think they made their last three 6-on-5s. We just didn't shoot the ball real well, their goalie played real exceptionally, and it just came down to them shooting ball extremely well and us shooting the ball fairly poorly. They did a wonderful job with some very difficult opportunities."
On USC winning by four goals after the teams played four one-goal games during the season:
"No one scored more than five goals in regulation over this whole four-game series leading up to this. They didn't do things a whole lot differently, I think their 6-on-5 conversion was about the same. They didn't have necessarily more counter opportunities, although we may have lost track of some people on counters. Like us, they've scored in a lot of different ways in our games, but they got very few natural goals. They just shot a whole lot better today than they have against us all year. That really is the difference, that we would start getting back in, playing solidly on defense, and they got the ball in the hands of some really good shooters and got some great goals."
On USC's defensive play:
"It's the same as what they've done all year against us. They do a good job of pressing and then they step back and drop and force play in a small attacking area, and then their two-meter defenders did a nice job of denying us the entry position. It wasn't different from the other games we've had against them. Their goalie is terrific, they play really good defense, but they sacrifice some things on the offensive end to play that defense. This time, they were able to get a lot of late goals and their 6-on-5 execution was really nice in the fourth quarter."
On what Gauthier means to the program:
"Jackie's been someone who has grown a huge amount in terms of her contribution to the team and has done things on both ends of the pool an in every phase of the game to make us better. That's been an inspiration to all of us in the program."
Stanford driver/2M Jacquelyn Gauthier
On not making the national title game:
"I don't think we overlooked this game at all. We know that we can't play on Sunday unless we win on Saturday. We came out hard and did what we usually do, and unfortunately, like JT said, they scored more than us. We didn't put the ball away like we have in the past. But this by no means be what I remember at Stanford Water Polo."
On almost being through with her Stanford career:
"I'm so proud of everything this team has done this season and in the previous three years. We've lost before but that's not what we remember. We remember the wins we've had, the fun times in practice, the competition and the family that we've built throughout this season. It would have been nice, obviously, to play in the championship game, but that's not the way it happened, but we're still going to come out tomorrow with 110% effort like we do everyday."
Stanford driver Lauren Silver
On the play of USC goalie Tumua Anae
"She was anticipating our shots really well, and we weren't varying our shots as much as we could and making her go one way then shooting the other. She did way a really good game, but we did have some open looks that she did come out of nowhere to block. But I feel like we were getting our opportunities. We were definitely breaking down the USC defense, its just a matter of finishing."
On USC's second half performance:
"I feel like they did get a lot of momentum in the fourth quarter, but I also feel like that was a result of us trying to push it on the counter, being down and trying to come back. They came where we expected them to come and a lot of the shots came from where we wanted them to come from, it was just a matter of them shooting exceptionally well today."
USC head coach Yovan Vavic
On the game:
"I'm very proud of my girls. I felt like they played with a lot of energy and a lot of heart. They executed our plan and we did a good job in every aspect of the game...Our goalie was outstanding, Michelle had a great shooting game, Sadra had a great shooting game and some of our younger players contributed heavily as well. It was just a great team effort."
On the goalie play:
"Tumua is very quick and she is very smart. She is a very hard worker and a great competitor. She has everything a goalie needs to have and is tough under pressure. Goalies have to be mentally tough."
On the difference between today and other games with Stanford:
"I think we played this game with much more freedom. I thought we were more energized and we did not worry about the result. We played for each other and we had fun. In some of the other games, I thought we were a little tight, nervous or worried about the score instead of just having fun."
On the rivalry with UCLA:
"I think that these two schools make each other better. We go head-to-head in men's and women's sports and sometimes they get the best of us and sometimes we get the best of them...It's good for both programs because both programs work and train very hard."
On whether or not USC's defense did anything different:
"We really didn't do anything different. If you look at our last five games or so, we held them to just four or five goals. Today they scored six."
On defending Stanford's counter-attack:
"Yes, we talked about that. All season long, they have beaten teams with their counter-attack and that's their strength. We wanted to focus on that. We still broke down a couple of times but our goalie saved us. There were some situations were they got open and we gave up some shots that they didn't finish as well. I thought our defense was good but our goalie was outstanding."
On his team making adjustments:
"It's really about adjustments. I felt Stanford did a great job with their defense and really played excellent. You have to give them credit for stopping us on a couple of shots we had a chance on. We changed things around."
Junior Driver Michelle Stein
On USC trailing early in the game:
"It was just time to calm down. We had a lot of game left and needed to focus, stay together and relax."
On what it means to play with "freedom":
"It just means play to have fun. Play for your teammates, play hard and not so much for anyone else other than you and your teammates and coaches."
On USC's fourth quarter offensive surge:
"Everything came together at the right time and we were having fun. We really just played together. Everybody was on the same page. Our teammates were setting us up and we were setting them up. Defense led to offense and that is how we were able to score our goals."
On the rivalry with UCLA:
"Same as it always has been- it's a fun rivalry. It's another chance to play them, which is exciting. Both schools love that. It's great to have that as the final game for the championship."
On her offensive mindset:
"I'm going into the game wanting to play with freedom and for the love of the game, that kind of mentality. I want to score, so with that in my mind I will score. That's what I have to be thinking going into the game tomorrow."
Sophomore Driver Alexandra Kiss
On her look-away goal:
"I scored on a look-away because I could see their goalie did not expect it. So I wanted to try to surprise her."