Natalie Golda

Position: Defender
Height: 5-11
Birthday: Dec. 28, 1981
Birthplace: Lakewood, Calif.
Hometown: Fullerton, Calif.
Residence: Long Beach, Calif.
Education: UCLA 2006
Club: New York Athletic Club

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

INTERNATIONAL/CLUB: Led team in scoring with 12 goals at 2007 Holiday Cup...Lit the proverbial lamp 11 times during 2007 Pan American Games...Scored three goals during Super Final 2007...Scored two goals in the semifinal game of 2007 World Championships and was instrumental in U.S. gold-medal finish...Helped Team USA capture 2006 FINA World League and Holiday Cup titles...Led team along with van Norman with 12 goals at the 2005 FINA World League Series...Led Team USA out of a slump with team's first goal in 2004 Olympic bronze medal victory...Scored in two games at 2003 Pan American Games, where the USA won gold to qualify for the Athens Olympic Games...Had four goals at the 2003 World Championships...Has been involved with U.S. National Team since 1998 when she was on the Youth National Team...Stepped up to Senior National Team in 2003...One of program's strongest players...Has been included in Speedo Top 40 Tournament since 2003.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS:
2008 Olympic Games, Beijing, China, 2nd place
2007 Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1st Place
2007 FINA World League Super Final, Montreal, Canada, 1st Place
2007 FINA World Championships, Melbourne, Australia, 1st Place
2006 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, Calif., 1st Place
2006 FINA World League, Cosenza, Italy, 1st Place
2005 FINA World Championships, Montreal, Canada, 2nd Place
2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece, 3rd Place
2004 FINA World League Series, Long Beach, Calif., 1st Place
2004 Holiday Cup, La Jolla, Calif., 1st Place

PROFESSIONAL: Joined Glyfada, a Greek club team, for end of season playoffs in 2006.

COLLEGE: Received PAC-10 medal in 2006...2005 AWPCA Player of the Year, AWPCA First-Team All-American, NCAA and MPSF Tournament MVP, First-Team All-NCAA and All-MPSF Tournaments, First-Team All-MPSF, MPSF Co-Player of the Year and Academic All-MPSF...Finished the 2005 season with 47 goals and her career with 158 goals, third-most in UCLA history...Awarded 2005 Peter J. Cutino Award (Collegiate Water Polo MVP)...Member of UCLA's 2001, 2003 and 2005 NCAA Championship teams and was assistant coach for the 2006 team...Named to the first team at the 2003 NCAA and MPSF tournaments...First Team All-American in 2003 and honorable mention All-American in 2002...Co-led the 2002 Bruins in scoring with 37 goals...Named to NCAA and MPSF All-Tournament Teams.

HIGH SCHOOL: Named CIF Division III Player of the Year her junior and senior years at Rosary High School, which won the CIF Championship in 1998 and 1999...First-team All-County...Orange County Register Athlete of the Year.

PERSONAL:
Played softball for 14 years and loves being part of a team...Started playing water polo in 1996...Younger brother plays water polo at the high school level...Served as student assistant coach for UCLA through the 2006 season...Describes best water polo moment as winning an Olympic medal in the 2004 Olympics...Currently writes a blog for NBC Olympics.com at www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=7/blog/index.html...Likes to help needy families during the holidays...Enjoys water polo because there's a never a dull moment...Finds it fulfilling to watch training pay off...Got started playing water polo by older brother (Nick)...Keeps playing because of a desire to be the best...Feels she's just realizing her potential.

• Favorite Food: Wahoo's
• Favorite Movie: "Bull Durham"
• Personal Theme Song: "Staring at the Sun" by TV on the Radio
• Favorite Musicians: Interpol, Thievery Corporation, Slightly Stoopid
• Favorite Color: Blue and pink
• Facebook or MySpace: Facebook
• Best Present Ever Received: Engagement ring
• Best Halloween Costume: Child's penguin suit
• Magical Power if Available: The ability to morph into any object or animal
• Sport to Play Other Than Water Polo: Softball (played through high school)
• Words to Live By: "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden