FIRST TIME MEN'S & WOMEN'S WATER POLO PROGRAMS WIN PROVINCIAL TITLE IN SAME SEASON!
The Carleton University Ravens struck double gold, at the 2007 OUA water polo championships, winning both men’s and women’s titles at the University of Toronto Athletic Centre’s Varsity Pool on Sunday afternoon. The Raven women won their second consecutive conference title by downing the McMaster Marauders 7-5 while the Carleton men took their first-ever league banner with a 9-5 win over McMaster.
Carleton took command from the start of the women’s game, opening the scoring by building up a 5-0 lead in the opening period and carrying that margin through to the final buzzer.
For the Ravens, two goals came from Clare Brown (Hamilton, Ontario) and each of first team OUA all-stars Rachel Baxter (Ottawa, Ontario) and Kasia Hart (Ottawa, Ontario). Fourth-year player Victoria Peters (Ottawa, Ontario) rounded out the Carleton scoring with one score.
McMaster spread its five points across five swimmers, with Jamie Annand (Guelph, Ontario), Carleigh Carter (Ottawa, Ontario), Alicia Lummack (Hamilton, Ontario), Tahnee Park (Waterdown, Ontario) and Mel Saunders (Hamilton, Ontario) each scoring once.
Carleton has now won six league titles since the start of OUA women’s water polo competition in 1988-89.
Carleton’s victory gives the Marauders their second consecutive silver medal, having lost to Carleton 5-4 in the 2006 championship game.
In the men’s final, McMaster’s Mark Zenchuk (Hamilton, Ontario) opened the scoring after 29 seconds of play, and the Marauders held a 3-1 lead early in the second period. Carleton evened the tally at 4-4 by the second intermission, and pulled away from McMaster with three unanswered goals in the third period, including two points within 25 seconds.
OUA second team all-stars Zoltan Csepregi (Ottawa, Ontario) and Stefan Pavicevic, (Gatineau, Quebec) notched four and three goals respectively for the Ravens, supplemented by single markers from Gordon Cameron (Ottawa, Ont.) and first team all-star Dejan Suletic (Gatineau, Quebec).
For McMaster, Collin Bullock (Dundas, Ontario) and first team all-star Rich Saunders (Hamilton, Ontario) each posted two points, followed by Zenchuk with one.
McMaster has now won three consecutive OUA men’s water polo silvers, having lost to Toronto in the 2005 and 2006 finals.
Carleton’s previous appearance in the OUA men’s championship game resulted in an 11-10 overtime loss to the Varsity Blues on November 27, 2004.
Copy and Media Release supplied by Ian Speers, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, Sports Information Office.
