{"id":344212,"date":"2018-12-28T10:52:07","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T17:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=344212"},"modified":"2018-12-28T10:52:07","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T17:52:07","slug":"2018-was-a-very-good-year-for-the-u-s-senior-womens-water-polo-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2018-was-a-very-good-year-for-the-u-s-senior-womens-water-polo-team\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 Was a VERY Good Year for the U.S. Women\u2019s Water Polo Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor<\/em><\/p>\n

When Team USA opened play at the 2018 FINA Intercontinental Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand by dropping<\/a>\u00a0a match to Australia by 9-8, it appeared that perhaps this might be the year that a dominant U.S. women\u2019s water polo squad would come back to the rest of the international pack.<\/p>\n

\"usawp\"<\/p>\n

As it turns out, that loss to the Stingers\u2014bitter rivals the last three decades\u2014was the lone setback experienced by the Americans this year. They went an astounding 33-1 and swept all major FINA tournaments in 2018. This stellar campaign is a fitting prelude to 2019, which will see the U.S.\u2014two-time Olympic Gold medalists and reigning FINA World Champions\u2014not only defend their Worlds’ title, but also look to qualify for a chance at a third-straight top Olympic finish at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

The Yanks recovered from their April 3rd defeat\u2014a day when Head Coach Adam Krikorian<\/strong> was missing mainstays Ashleigh Johnson<\/strong>, Maddie Musselman<\/strong> and Maggie Steffens<\/strong>\u2014to run the table on the rest of their schedule, a streak of 31 straight wins.<\/p>\n

\"December

Lefty Stephania Haralabidis has become a critical performer for the U.S. Photo Courtesy: Catharyn Hayne<\/p><\/div>\n

Some of the year\u2019s highlights include winning the Intercontinental\u2014and gaining revenge on the Aussies\u2014four days later with a 10-7\u00a0finals win<\/a>. Stephania Haralabidis<\/strong> and Kaleigh Gilchrist <\/strong>both recorded hat-tricks, while goalie Gabby Stone<\/strong> registered six saves as the U.S. secured a third Intercontinental title in four years (2015, 2016).<\/p>\n

At the Kunshan Cup final in June, Team USA found itself facing another rival from its long and storied past: the Netherlands. The Americans trailed briefly before rallying for an 8-6 win<\/a> behind Johnson\u2019s 11 saves and a hat-trick from fellow Olympian\u00a0Rachel Fattal<\/strong>. Beating a Dutch side that featured Sabrina Van der Sloot <\/strong>and\u00a0Maud Megens<\/strong> was no small feat; the next month the Orange would sweep to a European Championship title behind\u00a0Vivian Sevenich<\/strong>, Megens and Van der Sloot, who would cop MVP honors for the tournament.<\/p>\n

And the Americans were just getting started.<\/p>\n

\"USA

Kami Craig at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Photo Courtesy: Jeff Cable<\/p><\/div>\n

Playing a series of friendlies in Budapest and Rotterdam in July, the Americans swept Hungary, Italy, Japan and Holland by an average margin of nine goals, with the closest match being a 10-4 win over the Italians. Three friendlies against Australia in California were not only lopsided in favor of the U.S., the final match on August 26th was 14-3 blow-out<\/a> that celebrated the spectacular career of Kami Craig<\/strong>. The three-time Olympian\u2014a silver medalist in Beijing who then won back-to-back gold medals in the London and Rio Games\u2014announced her retirement following a 13-year career proudly wearing the Stars and Bars. Also announcing her retirement in 2018 was Courtney Mathewson<\/strong>, who won four NCAA titles at UCLA (2005-2008) then jumped on the Team USA bandwagon for consecutive Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016.<\/p>\n

\"USA

A determined Courtney Mathewson in the 2019 gold medal match against Italy. Photo Courtesy: Jeff Cable<\/p><\/div>\n

August saw the Yanks in Russia for the FINA World Cup. After a season playing professionally in Hungary, Maggie Steffens led a deep U.S. squad to its third straight world cup title. But Steffens\u2014generally considered<\/a> the world\u2019s best female player\u2014had considerable help from Haralabidis, Johnson, sisters Jamie<\/strong> and Kiley Neushul<\/strong> and phenom Paige Hauschild<\/strong>. The teenager\u00a0 from Santa Barbara, CA, stepped into the attacker role vacated by the injured Mussleman, and proceeded to dominate on both ends of the pool.<\/p>\n

\"December

Paige Hauschild is next in succession of great American attackers. Photo Courtesy: Catharyn Hayne<\/p><\/div>\n

The U.S. depth was simply too much for South Africa, Canada, China, Spain and then Russia in the Cup final. The hosts fell 8-5<\/a> as Steffens scored a hat-trick, Johnson registered 11 saves, and Jamie Neushul netted two goals, extending the American winning streak to 26.<\/p>\n

The title capped a spectacular run of success the past five years, which includes ten-straight major titles: two World Championships (2015, 2017); three World League Super Final titles (2018, 2017, 2016); back-to-back World Cups (2018, 2016), the 2018 Intercontinental Cup and\u2014of course\u2014the 2016 Rio Olympics.<\/p>\n

Five friendlies in California this month capped off arguably one of the most successful non-Olympic years for the U.S. women. First were two wins over the Chinese, who tested the American before succumbing 13-9 in the first match and then fell 14-2 in the second. In three straight wins over the Dutch, including a 12-3 decision<\/a> on December 22nd, the Americans outscored their prime European rival 36-14\u2014demonstrating that Team USA is ready for whatever challenges a new year has to offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor When Team USA opened play at the 2018 FINA Intercontinental Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand by dropping\u00a0a match to Australia by 9-8, it appeared<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4875,"featured_media":344244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[53330,70921,67064,3384,39795,39793,42711,54091,37597,37596,39213,37598,39337,60870,60192,50842,32490,73115,62628,61197,4600,66346,73114],"class_list":["post-344212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-water-polo","tag-2016-rio-olympics","tag-2017-fina-world-water-polo-championships","tag-2018-fina-intercontinental-tournament","tag-adam-krikorian","tag-ashleigh-johnson","tag-courtney-mathewson","tag-fina-world-cup","tag-jamie-neushul","tag-kaleigh-gilchrist","tag-kami-craig","tag-kiley-neushul","tag-maddie-musselman","tag-maggie-steffens","tag-maud-megens","tag-michael-randazzo","tag-paige-hauschild","tag-rachel-fattal","tag-russian-womens-water-polo","tag-sabrina-van-der-sloot","tag-stephania-haralabidis","tag-team-usa","tag-u-s-senior-womens-national-water-polo-team","tag-vivian-sevenich"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n2018 Was a VERY Good Year for the U.S. Women\u2019s Water Polo Team - 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