Feb. 22, 2012

UCI Invitational Central

STANFORD, Calif. - The top-ranked Stanford women's water polo team heads to Orange County this weekend to defend its UCI Invitational title. The Cardinal opens play Saturday morning at Corona del Mar High School against No. 19 UC San Diego.

The Cardinal, undefeated through its first eight games of the 2012 season, is coming off of a 13-4 victory at Santa Clara last Saturday.

Three weeks ago the Cardinal claimed the first major tournament of the season, winning its third straight Stanford Invitational at Avery Aquatic Center.

This weekend at the UCI Invitational, Stanford is the top seed among the field of 16 and in a four-team group along with UC San Diego, No. 8 San Jose State and No. 9 San Diego State. The winner of Saturday morning's Stanford-UCSD game will take on the winner of the Spartans-Aztecs contest at 2 p.m. that same day.

The championship semifinals and final will take place Sunday at UC Irvine. The consolation (eighth through 15th place) games will take place at CdMHS.

Stanford enters the tournament as the MPSF's second-leading offense (13.50 goals per game) and third-best defense (5.25 goals allowed per game).

Freshmen Kiley Neushul (15 goals) and Ashley Grossman (14 goals) along with the Lo sisters Alyssa (12 goals) and Kaitlyn (11 goals) pace the Cardinal on offense.

Defensively, junior goalie Kate Baldoni is second in the MPSF with 9.91 saves per game and third with a goals-against average of 4.70. Freshman Emily Dorst made her first collegiate start at Santa Clara last weekend, making six saves and allowing just four goals.

UC San Diego (9-7) enters the tournament on a three-game winning streak, having most recently defeated Long Beach State last Saturday. The Tritons are led by the scoring of Sarah Lizotte (35 goals) and Jessica Tran (13 goals) while on defense, goalie Allie Taylor has made 82 saves this season.