Jack Schroeder
During the Oct. 2 Occidental men’s water polo game against defending Division III men’s water polo champions Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, goalkeeper Jack Schroeder (junior) had two saves late in the fourth quarter. With only one second on the clock, Schroeder took a shot at CMS’s open goal, scoring from across the pool and earning a 15-14 win for the Tigers.
“We beat the number one DIII team in the country […] with a last second shot there. That was really exciting. That was a really huge win for us,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder said he took up water polo after an ACL injury in the seventh grade.
“I used to play football and basketball and the tall, big-person sports. Then, I partially tore my ACL and had to quit playing land sports,” Jack said.
Men’s water polo head coach Lindsey Garcia said Schroeder’s biggest strength is his eagerness to improve.
“He’s worked a lot on his legs, feet and being a little bit lighter on his hands. He works really hard, and he’s really coachable,” Garcia said.
Calvin Anderson (first year), also a goalkeeper for men’s water polo, said Schroeder is both helpful and holds the team to a higher standard.
“He’s just a great guy to know. He helps you out when you need it,” Anderson said. “He’s just the standard.”
Schroeder said he is able to rely on his team’s support when he starts to feel pressure.
“It’s really nice to have a team to back you up and get your head back in the game,” Schroeder said.
According to Garcia, Schroeder is an encouraging presence on the team.
“[We make] sure that [water polo’s] a place where we […] want to be part of it. It’s one of the things that Jack Schroeder is actually really good at. He’s super encouraging,” Garcia said.
Despite a recent loss against Pomona-Pitzer, Schroeder said he is hopeful for the rest of the season.
“We lost to Pomona on Wednesday […] but overall the season is going really well, and I have high hopes for the rest of the year,” Schroeder said.
Mira Lindeman
During Occidental women’s soccer game against Cal Lutheran Oct. 2, defender Mira Lindeman (first year) scored against the reigning DIII national women’s soccer champions with less than 10 minutes to go, keeping the game close for the Tigers.
Lindeman said she inherited her family’s love of soccer and has played the game for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve played soccer basically all of my life at the club level,” Lindeman said. “My family is a very big soccer family. That’s the sport we all focus around.”
Assistant Athletics Director and Women’s Soccer Head Coach Colm McFeely said one of the things that made Mira unique in the recruiting process was her ability to kick well with her left foot.
“Quality left-footed players are not that easy to come by, and Mira’s got a very sophisticated left foot. Her right is not bad either, but she’s primarily a left-sided player,” McFeely said.
Lindeman said the strong dynamic within the team will set them up for future success.
“I think we have great chemistry together,” Lindeman said. “Our results haven’t been quite what we wanted, but those things will come with time.”
McFeely said he was impressed by how Mira was able to adapt to her increased role on the team as a first year due to injuries impacting other players.
“The fact that we had so many injuries propelled Mira onto the field, probably a little bit quicker than she might have thought. Boy, did she take it like a duck to water.” McFeely said.
Lindeman said being on the team and bonding with her recruiting class has helped tremendously with her adjustment to college.
“Having that group of 11 [first years] that you just immediately click with […] definitely helped the transition be easier, because I always have that group of people surrounding me,” Lindeman said.
McFeely said he believes she will remember the night she scored her first goal at Occidental fondly.
“I would imagine she is going to remember for the rest of her life, and certainly the rest of her days here at Oxy, that she scored her first goal here […] against the national champions,” McFeely said.
Contact Taylor Hubbard at thubbard@oxy.edu