The USC women’s water polo team was beyond its last gasp in the final minute of an eventual 11-7 loss May 11 to Stanford in the NCAA Division I title game.
“Yaacobi fires,” the announcer said. “Stanford saves! Carpenter clears. That should shut the door on the championship final.”
Up in the stands, the parents of Stanford goalkeeper and Yucaipa High School graduate Christine Carpenter, Matt and Amy, high-fived. A wafer-thin smile appeared on Cardinal coach John Tanner’s face.
Soon all the Cardinal players and the coaching staff were in the water celebrating. It was the program’s 10th NCAA title and third in the past four years.
“It was a dream moment,” said Christine Carpenter, who recorded nine saves and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. “As long as I’ve been playing, I wanted to play college ball and go to Stanford and play in big games. It was surreal to do it, and the fact we beat USC on Mother’s Day made it more special.”
The Cardinal’s victory kept alive Stanford’s athletic program’s streak of winning at least one national title in 49 consecutive years, dating back to 1976-77.
BORN TO PLAY
Christine Elizabeth Carpenter is 6 feet tall and was born to be an athlete. Her parents were star athletes at Yucaipa High and in college. Her brother Mitchell was a 6-6 standout water polo goalkeeper at Biola University.
Carpenter fancied soccer as a young girl but switched to water polo.
The national championship was the culmination of a glittering career at Yucaipa High and much hard work since.
“It was crazy,” Carpenter said of Stanford’s title. “It was like taking the final steps of climbing up a tall mountain. It was fun to look in my teammates’ eyes and realize that we did it, and we did it together.”
Carpenter finished the season with 165 saves. She was one of five Cardinal players named an Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches’ All-American.
Meanwhile, her parents suffered in the stands.
“Oh gosh, it took years off our lives,” quipped Matt Carpenter, who is Yucaipa High’s athletic director. “Watching the game as a parent is a different deal.”
‘PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE’
Christine Carpenter fretted going into the title game. Stanford finished 25-1, but its lone loss was to USC.
“It was extremely nerve-racking,” Carpenter said. “I was nervous before the game; I was taking deep breaths. But I remembered that we were prepared for the game and nothing was left unchecked. Pressure is a privilege.”
Stanford trailed USC 6-5 in the last minute of the first half, but the Cardinal’s Juliette Dhalluin scored with one second left.
The Cardinal defense blanked USC for more than 14 consecutive minutes – until the Trojans finally scored with less than 2 minutes left in the game.
“It was amazing,” Carpenter said. “USC usually scores a lot and is very powerful. But we were fluid and confident, and we were playing off each other.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Championship trophy in tow, Stanford returned to the Bay Area the following Monday. The team was treated to a steak dinner.
Carpenter has finished school for the year and continues to train at Stanford. Soon she will attend tryouts in Long Beach, hoping to make the USA senior national team or the 20-and-under junior squad.
“I played in the junior world championships two years ago and we finished fifth,” Carpenter said. “I’d like to get another shot.”
