2009 Behrend Lions Women's Water Polo Season Preview
The
Penn State Behrend women’s water polo team enters the 2009 season
with high hopes and many new faces eager to face a challenging
schedule of competition. Head coach Joe Tristan returns for his
sixth season at the helm of the Behrend Lions water polo program.
Joining Coach Tristan are three returning players from last year’s
squad who will look to lead the newcomers to success in 2009.
Two juniors will be expected to lead a young squad this spring that
features no seniors and only one sophomore. Starting goalie Jenna
Zeyfang (Erie, PA/Erie First Academy) returns for her third season
with the Behrend Lions. She will serve as co-captain and looks to
anchor the defense between the pipes. Zeyfang has climbed among the
program’s all-time leaders in the record book as she enters 2009
fifth in career saves with 117 stops and fifth in career save
percentage (.325). The other junior on the squad is Danielle Wilson
(Pittsburgh, PA/Plum) who competed in 12 games a season ago and
recorded one goal, two assists, and four steals. The third returner
is sophomore Danielle Palski (Souderton, PA/Souderton). Palski
burst onto the scene last season competing in all 18 games for the
blue and white while tallying 12 goals, 12 assists, and 22 steals
and will serve as the other co-captain on this season’s team.
The 2009 women’s water polo team will also welcome nine newcomers to
the Junker Center pool. Looking to make a splash in their first
season with Behrend water polo program will be Rachel Anderson
(Imperial, PA/West Allegheny), Julie Cook (Warren, PA/Warren),
Kendall Duffy (Vernon Hills, IL/Vernon Hills), Kylie Forsythe
(Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park), Kim Giles (North East, PA/North
East), Jenny LaFuria (North East, PA/North East), Anne Lawrence
(State College, PA/State College), Hilary MacManus (Beaver Falls,
PA/Blackhawk), and Jillian Sebrosky (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park.
Coach Tristan looks ahead to the 2009 season and is eager to compete
against some of the best teams in the country. The season begins on
March 7 at the CWPA Tournament hosted by the University of
Michigan. The blue and white are scheduled to play three games in
two days, beginning with a contest against regional rival Grove
City. The Behrend Lions will also test themselves that weekend
against Division I powers Michigan and Indiana. The blue and white
will play four home games in the Junker Center pool over three days
(March 27-29) facing Utica, Chatham, Mercyhurst, and Gannon. The
squad will also participate in the highly competitive Midwest
Invitational hosted by Carthage College April 4-5. Behrend women’s
water polo will also be shooting for strong showings on April 18-19
at the CWPA Western Division Championships at Indiana, and April
25-27 at the Eastern Division Championships at Harvard University.
The Penn State Behrend Lions enter the season with an exciting
influx of young, talented players with strong potential to improve
as the season moves along. Coach Tristan said, “I am very excited
about our team for the 2009 season. Our schedule should help our
program move forward and we will look to improve upon our finish
from last season.”