June 9, 2008

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford women's water polo junior driver Lauren Silver was one of three finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, which was announced Saturday by The Olympic Club of San Francisco. Silver, Stanford's leading scorer in 2008 with 71 goals, and an All-MPSF First Team selection, represents the Cardinal having at least one of the three Cutino Award finalists now in seven of the last 10 years.

The team's scoring leader this past season, Silver was instrumental in Stanford's 27-5 overall record, second-place 11-1 mark in the MPSF regular season, and third-place finishes at both the MPSF Tournament and the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship in 2008. The junior from Long Beach also posted 11 hat tricks on the year, and 22 multi-goal games overall. She started the 2008 season off with a five-goal effort against Santa Clara in the Cardinal's 16-6 season-opening win. Silver was joined in the trio of finalists by Jillian Kraus and award-winner Courtney Mathewson of UCLA.

The award, given annually in honor of former California and Olympic Club coach the late Peter J. Cutino, is given to the outstanding female and male collegiate water polo players in the United States as voted by the coaches of the Division I schools.

Stanford boasts two past winners of the Peter J. Cutino Award, as Brenda Villa became the Cardinal's first recipient in 2002, and was followed in 2003 by Jackie Frank. Villa was also a finalist that season.

Heather Crary was Stanford's first finalist in 1999, and, along with Silver, is joined on the all-time list of Stanford finalists by Wendy Watkins (2004), Meridith McColl (2006), and Katie Hansen (2007).