Maryland Water Polo Announces 2006 Signees
11/29/2004 7:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Nov. 29, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland water polo coach Carl Salyer announced today the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent for the 2006 season. Three have played locally for the nationally prominent Navy Aquatic Club program in Annapolis, while one hails from a suburb of San Diego.
"I'm really pleased with this first recruiting class," Salyer said. "It's a great starting group to begin building a regionally and nationally competitive program. I anticipate great things from this recruiting class."
Blaise Stanicic, a native of Annapolis, is currently a member of the Navy Aquatic Club team as well as a member of the national youth team. "Blaise is a real good outside shooter," Salyer said. "She knows the game really well offensively and defensively. She's a great 2-meter defender, and she'll be a real asset in our counter-attack game and front-court offense, where she can score from both outside and inside."
Another member of the Navy A.C. team, Christen Vagts, is a native of Crofton, Md. "Christen has played water polo at a high level for years," Salyer said. "Her specialty is on the defensive end of the pool, but I look for her to be an asset on the counter-attack and at the offensive end of the pool as well."
The final Navy A.C. member is Ashleigh Jobson of Annapolis. Jobson was a member of the national youth team this past summer, and she has been the starting goalie for Navy A.C. for several years. "I think Ashleigh is one of the top goalies in the country," Salyer said. "She is a good solid goalie that can make spectacular blocks and facilitate our counter-attacks with some great passes down the pool."
But the recruits are not limited to local players. Elizabeth Hopkins from Coronado, Calif., is a member of "one of the premier high school programs in California," at Coronado High School, Salyer said. Her brother Jonathan is a senior on the UC-San Diego water polo team, and her brother Thomas is a junior on the Stanford water polo team.
"Elizabeth has a great all-around game," Salyer said. "She can handle the ball, she can shoot from the outside, she's a good 2-meter defender. She's solid in all aspects of the game. Elizabeth will be a huge asset to our team next year, with several years of experience playing at the highest levels of water polo in California"
