MAGIC WAN: Princeton University women’s water polo player Haley Wan prepares to unload the ball in recent action. Junior star Wan has scored a team-high and career-best 59 goals this season for No. 10 Princeton. The Tigers, now 21-3 overall, wrap up regular season play by hosting George Washington on April 14.  (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

On paper, it appears that the the Princeton University women’s water polo team is experiencing a dominant season.

With one game left in regular season play, Princeton has posted a 21-3 record, outscoring its foes 225-141 on the way to being ranked 10th nationally.

But Princeton head coach Luis Nicolao believes his team hasn’t peaked yet.

“It has been a great run so far but I think what stands out the most is that we have yet to really have our best game,” said Nicolao.

“I think our best overall game was the Arizona State game where we lost by a goal (7-6 on March 18). Due to health issues and academic constraints at Princeton, we really haven’t clicked on all cylinders.”

Last weekend, Princeton overcame those issues as it played three games at Hartwick College, which has a shallow-deep pool. The Tigers topped No. 14 Indiana 10-6 and Brown 11-8 on Saturday before edging 17th-ranked Hartwick 13-12 a day later.

“I was really happy to get through the Hartwick game; it is their home pool and there is a lot of advantage to that,” said Nicolao.

“It is funny because they won the coin toss and they wanted to have the ball in the fourth quarter in the shallow end, which we would never want to do but that is their home pool. It is a huge advantage to know how to play at that shallow end.”

While Princeton has been thrilled to welcome back senior goalie Ashleigh Johnson, who took a hiatus from Princeton last year to help the U.S. women’s national team win the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Games, Nicolao acknowledges that she went through some ups and downs.

“It is huge getting her back but Ashleigh has had a tougher time than I thought,” said Nicolao of Johnson, who has piled up 261 saves in 24 games this season.

“Sometimes we relax a little bit too much on defense because we think that Ashleigh is always going to be there to make the save. We have a little different defensive approach this year but at the same time I think Ashleigh would be the first to say she hasn’t had an A-game yet this year. It has been a bigger transition than I thought it would be. It has been a long two years of playing and training for her. Physically and mentally, it is harder for her.”

Johnson’s return has sparked younger sister, junior star Chelsea, who is second on the team with 39 goals.

“Chelsea has always had the physical ability; she is having a lot of fun with her sister, they are great together,” said Nicolao.

“Chelsea has the ability to be one of the best players on the east coast every game. It is a matter of just mentally being all there and giving it all she has got.”

Junior star Haley Wan has been giving the Tigers a lot of production, having tallied a team-high and career-best 59 goals.

“We needed Haley to do that; she has always been a really smart player but she has deferred to other players,” said Nicolao.

“Coming into this year I knew we didn’t have any big goal scorer. I talked to her and said Haley we really need you to step up with your attempts and she has. I would rather lose with her going 0-for-8 than with her going 1-for-1. Sometimes she is passing up a shot that is hers because she is being too patient and then it is not there again and we have missed an opportunity. She has started to realize she is better off taking it than passing it up.”

Nicolao is looking for more aggressiveness across the board offensively.

“I think Morgan Hallock (27 goals) is playing really well, Lindsey Kelleher (21 goals) is doing really well,” said Nicolao, noting that Princeton recently lost freshman star Amy Castellano to a season-ending hand injury.

“We lost to Michigan (14-6 on April 2) because they came in and took out Lindsey and Haley. We need other girls to step up because we know what their game plan is. We need more girls to be more aggressive because the shots you don’t take, you can’t make.”

With Princeton hosting George Washington in its regular season finale on April 14 and the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) championships slated for April 28-30, Princeton has time to hone things.

“I think it is just trying to fine-tune a little bit,” said Nicolao. “We know we are going to win our 15-20 games and it is all about the last two games at the end of the year. Sometimes you lose focus in the middle of the season because it is a long season. I tell the girls we are playing for real now; it is one or done.”

Nicolao is confident that Princeton will play its best when it counts the most with the winner of the CWPA tourney earning a bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament.

“I like where we stand, I think we are in a great position,” said Nicolao.

“Now it is just a matter of getting healthy and getting our minds in the right place and putting our best foot forward.”