PRINCETON, N.J. -- Five tournaments and a week long trip to California highlight the 2009 Princeton women’s water polo schedule. The season kicks off the weekend of Feb. 7-8 at home with the Princeton Open, the first of two tournaments hosted by the Tigers.

Last season the Tigers won the Southern Championship and placed third at Easterns. The team finished the season with a 20-11 record. Princeton will look to return to the Eastern title game when the 2009 season commences in early February.

Princeton will open the season at home with the Princeton Open and jump into league play a weekend later with games at Maryland and George Washington. The Open field will include the likes of Siena and Villanova. Princeton hosts its second tournament of the season, the Princeton Invitational, the weekend of Feb. 20-22. One of the Tigers’ games that weekend will be its home CWPA contest against Maryland. Also scheduled to compete that weekend are Brown, George Washington, Harvard and Wagner.

The Tigers continue tournament play the following weekend with the Elite Six Tournament at Bucknell. The showcase features the top two teams from the Southern, Northern and Western Divisions. The Tigers will meet Michigan, Indiana, Hartwick and Brown during the weekend.

The Tigers travel to California during Spring Break and begin the trip at the LMU Invitational at Loyola Marymount. The trip will continue with games at Concordia, Long Beach State, Whittier and Chapman.

Princeton returns to DeNunzio Pool on March 28 with Southern Division games against Bucknell and George Washington. Princeton then hosts Wagner in non-league action before wrapping up the regular season at Bucknell on April 4.

Next will come the Southern Championships on April 18 at Maryland and the Eastern Championships from April 24-26 at Harvard.

Release courtey Princeton Athletic Communications