Women's Water Polo

Regals Water Polo Team Claims National Title
CLU defeats CMS in championship game

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (May 6, 2007) - Once the Regals jumped in the water all their pre-game nerves sank to the bottom of the pool. None of the 16-member team had ever played in a game of this magnitude during her career, but from the outside you never would have been able to tell that.

Cal Lutheran took a commanding 4-0 first quarter lead that they would never relinquished en route to a 10-6 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, as they went undefeated at the Collegiate III National Championships hosted by UC Santa Cruz, bringing home a national title.

When the team met for breakfast early on Sunday, you could feel the nerves. The Regals knew what they faced as they had met the Athenas in the pool three times prior, once yesterday in the quarterfinal game, but they also knew what was on the line.

CLU added a trio of goals in the second and third quarters to total 10. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps managed to score four times in the second quarter and two in the fourth for six total goals.

Junior Nicole Pecel set the pace of the CLU offense scoring the first goal just 48 seconds into the game. She finished with three and two assists.

The key to the success of this team this weekend has been defense. Jill Jensen racked up seven of the teams' 19 steals, finishing the tournament with 26. Pecel drew four penalties against CMS today.

Jensen was a dual threat today finding the back of the net twice and also tallying two assists. Also scoring twice was Stevie Blanchard who tacked three assists on to her total. Marianne Paradowski scored once and Whitney Haroldson and Ashley Bentz (five-meter) rounded out the scoring for the afternoon. Blanchard finished with three steals while Joy Cyprian and Paradowski had a pair of steals apiece.

Goalie Katie Windsor finished with five blocks and grabbed a loose ball for a steal.

As the lone senior on the team, Michele Hernandez, has seen it all. She was a part of that inaugural team that went 4-16 overall and her collegiate career just culminated with a Divisions III National title. In the championship game Hernandez had four steals.

"Being a part of this program and this team has been a blessing," Hernandez said. "To have seen the growth of a team into a cohesive unit has been amazing to see and be a part of."

For the coaching staff, this victory is a dream that became a reality.

"When Craig and I started coaching here four years ago, we had our sites set on being in the Championship game within four to six years," said assistant coach Matt Warshaw. "That dream has ben realized and people now know that CLU water polo is going to be very competitive in the future."

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference took the top three spots at this year's tournament. The University of Redlands Bulldogs defeated Cal State East Bay 7-6 with mere seconds on the clock to claim third place.

Five members of the CLU team were recognized on the All-Tournament team, including Jill Jensen as the tournament MVP. Joining Jensen were Nicole Pecel, Katie Windsor, Marianne Paradowski and Ashley Bentz.

Additionally head coach Craig Rond was recognized as the Division III women's water polo Coach of the Year. Rond was tabbed the men's water polo Coach of the Year for the Kingsmen performance during the fall season of 2006.

"It is still surreal to me." Rond went on, "This was a very grueling weekend, schedule wise, both physically and mentally and our girls did a great job."

What this team has done has been quite an accomplishment. "They played unbelievable water polo and were able to win all five games against competitive opponents," Rond said after the game.

CLU finished the season 21-10, their first 20 win season in the programs history as well.

The championship marks the first National title in Cal Lutheran University athletics history since the 1971 CLU Kingsmen football team who won the NAIA National Title.