by Katie Sverchek, SDA Media Relations
The 2015-16 Sun Devil Water Polo program opens preseason action Saturday at the Collegiate Cup at the William Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif.
The USA Water Polo Collegiate Cup is a two-day tournament that brings together the top collegiate women’s water polo teams to compete. The two-day event serves as a preview for the upcoming NCAA women’s water polo colligate season, which begins in January.
The team will take part in four games over the weekend, opening the tournament Saturday at 11:30 a.m. PT against Long Beach State followed by a contest against 2015 MPSF Champion UCLA later in the day at 3 p.m. The schedule is available online at the following link: http://www.usawaterpolo.org/ot/collegiate-cup-schedule.html
With a roster featuring several returning starters and reserve players from previous seasons stepping into larger roles, as well as the addition of eight new newcomers, expectations are high for a team that has as much depth as it has seen in program history.
The Sun Devils have established themselves as one of the elite teams in the country in the last couple years. In the last four seasons prior, the Sun Devils have compiled an 85-31 record under head coach Todd Clapper. In that time, the team has posted 14 All-America honors while earning the first victory over UCLA in program history, beating Cal on the road for the first time ever and matching a program best upset with a victory over second-ranked USC two years ago. Last year the Sun Devils finished the season with a 16-10 record.
With Todd Clapper entering his 11th year at the helm of the program, the veteran head coach is pleased with the progress his team has made in the offseason and looks forward to seeing the squad realize its potential in the coming season.
Clapper is looking forward to bringing the same intensity and tempo that the team has brought th last few months of practice.
“I think this team really deserves to see the fruits of their labor over the last couple months,” Clapper said.
A preview of the 2015-16 roster is available below.
GOALKEEPERS
Clapper is excited to see what redshirt sophomore Mia Rycraw can accomplish this season. Now that three-time All-American E.B. Keeve is graduated, it’s Rycraw’s responsibility to lead the team in the cage.
“E.B. (Keeve) was our starter last year, but I think there was a lot of times in practice when we weren’t sure who was playing better, so I think there was times when Mia played better. “ Clapper said.
Clapper noted that Rycraw got some experience in the Irvine Tournament last year when she saw her first significant playing time as a Sun Devil. Despite playing with some nerves, still played very well so he thinks the tournament is a good time for her to get rid of those nerves before season in January.
Rycraw posted 44 saves at the UCI Invitational and had a career-high 13 saves against USC and finished the season with 80 saves and an 11.4 final saves per game average.
Two other noted goalies that are expected to contribute this season are junior Taylor Barrett and freshman Ellie Karl (Pasadena, Calif.).
Barrett has served as a reserve and practice goalie for the previous two seasons a successful prep career El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., where she was an attacker for three seasons.
Karl was a 2014 first Team All-CIF Division IV section for Mayfield Senior School and earned first team All-America honors at the 2012 National Junior Olympics and while also serving as a member of the 2013 Cadet National Team.
CENTERS
The Sun Devils lost three big attackers this year but Clapper doesn’t think that will be an issue for the team, nothing that the squad is far deeper and is showing more teamwork, which is going to go a long way.
“There are players that were good last year but now are stepping up, as well as we have some new freshmen,” Clapper said.
With the loss of All-American center Alkistis Benekou who scored 97 goals in her career in just two seasons and nearly cracking ASU’s all-time top-10 in scoring, the onus will now fall on senior Abbey Kerth to hold down the middle of the pool.
“This is Abbey Kerth’s fourth year and she is really stepping up and finishing well,” Clapper said.
Kerth has been a big part of the program the last three years. Splitting time last season with All-American Benekou, Kerth finished second on the team in drawing 40 exclusions. A very reliable player that has made the most of her playing time, Kerth has been big contributor to ASU’s success over the last three years and among its most significant contributors off the bench.
With the addition of newcomer Rosie Huck (Manchester, England), Clapper feels confident in his centers and feels the Sun Devils are very strong at that position.
“I think that Rosie is coming in and doing very well as a center so I don’t really think we are taking any steps back there,” he said. “I think we are going to be better.”
Huck spent the last year competing with the Great Britain National Team and was the youngest player on the roster at the 2014 European Water Polo Championships in Budapest.
Huck competed for Great Britain at the 2015 World Junior Championships in Volos, Greece, netting five goals over the course of the tournament.
ATTACKERS
Returners Daisy Carter and Claudia Abad are also two big attackers for the Sun Devils that Clapper is confident in.
Carter has played a major role the last three years for the Sun Devils. Last year she ranked fifth overall with a career-high 17 goals. Carter scored a career-high three goals and drew two exclusions leading the team to a 12-4 MPSF win against San Jose State on March 22nd.
“Daisy is playing better than she’s ever played and Claudia is really stepping up,” Clapper said. “So I think from those standpoints we have a lot of depth and a lot of strong players. People are stepping up as well as new players are coming in and really helping us, too.”
Abad finished her freshman campaign with 16 goals, ranked second among the team’s freshman and sixth overall on the team. She finished the season very strong last year and was noted as one of the most improved players by Clapper.
Izabella Chiappini was a leading scorer last year with 56 goals and had a career total 108 goals that is 10th overall in ASU career history. But, the standout Brzailian will be representing her native country at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and the Sun Devils now look to two major scoring threats to fill that void in with the addition of Maud Koopman (Assendelft, Netherlands) coming in on the weak side, allowing Clapper to be able to move returner Lena Mihailovic over to the strong side.
“Now, all of a sudden, we are as strong or stronger on that side,” Clapper said of Mihailovic’s move, placing everyone into their more natural positions.
Mihailovic came in as a freshman and made a big impact last year, finishing fourth on the team with 24 goals and adding 17 assists and 16 steals on the season. She was named to he All-MPSF Newcomer Team.
The sophomore also competed at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Volos this summer, netting three goals in the competition. Mihailovic also made an appearance in the World University Games held in Gwangju, Korea this past July. Her penalty shootout goal against Canada would help Australia take home a gold medal.
Koopman competed on the Dutch Youth and Junior National teams that competed in 2014 at the Youth World Championships and the European Championships.
Returners Stephanie Contreras, Kayla Casas and Taylor Bertrand are also expected to impact the team significantly. All have continued to grow throughout the off-season and are learning their roles and will help to add depth to the roster this year.
Both Casas and Bertrand showed glimpses on potential last season, earning solid playing time as freshmen and finishing with 12 and nine goals, respectively.
Newcomer Peggy-Jean (PJ) Allen (Victoria, British Columbia) is going to come in and make an impact for the Sun Devils as well. With the loss of All-American Petra Pardi who finished her career as Sun Devil third all-time in goals scored (157), the Sun Devils are excited to have another left-hander that can fill the spot.
“(Allin) is not as experienced as Pardi on the offensive end, but she brings other things that I think are maybe better then what Pardi did the first couple years she was here,” Clapper said.
Allin was a member of the 2013 Canadian U16 National team and captained her team in the Cadet National Club Championships in 2012.
DEFENDERS
Senior Katie Sverchek returns at the defender position as well as the return of two-time Olympian Ao Gao.
“Katie came in last year and basically took that spot because we needed it and did really well but now she has a year under her belt and she’s coming back playing that position better, shooting better then she ever has,” Clapper said. “And then all of a sudden, we add Ao Gao back to the mix - a two-time Olympian - and that gives us some fire power.”
The return of Ao Gao to the roster is going to have a huge impact on the team. She is not only a huge defensive threat but she poses a huge threat on the offensive side.
Gao’s last appearance for the Sun Devils was in 2014 when ASU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and took fifth overall with a victory over UC Irvine.
Gao had an impressive junior season in 2014 recording 40 goals and 35 assists in 28 games. In the 2014 MPSF Championships against top-ranked USC, Gao scored a team-leading four goals and two assists.
OVERVIEW
Overall, Clapper is focused on the press and being able to play against the press. He wants the team to be prepared for what any team brings at them.
The addition of eight newcomers is very exciting for the program and the team. With some freshmen quickly filling into their roles, there are only a few that need to mature quickly but Clapper is confident that they will figure it out soon.
Clapper is focused on sticking to a progression and making sure that the team is hitting certain milestones when they are supposed to at certain times throughout the year.
The Sun Devils will start their official season Friday, Jan. 22 at the ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.