View source for Amber Stachowski

{{short description|American water polo player (born 1983)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name           = Amber Stachowski
| image          =
| caption        =
| birth_date     = {{birth-date and age|March 14, 1983}}
| birth_place    = [[Mission Viejo, California]], U.S.
| death_date     =
| death_place    =
| sport    = [[Water polo]]
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Water polo at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Water polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Aquatics Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 Barcelona]] | [[Water polo at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Women's tournament|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2003 Pan American Games|2003 Santo Domingo]]|[[Water polo at the 2003 Pan American Games|Team competition]]}}
}}

'''Amber Val Stachowski''' (born March 14, 1983) is an American [[water polo]] player for the [[UCLA Bruins]] and the U.S. National Team, who won the [[bronze medal]] at the [[Water Polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Olympics]]. Her position is center defender.

==High school and college==
At Capistrano Valley High School, Stachowski was a three-time First-Team [[All-America]]n (1999–2001)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/w-wpolo/mtt/stachowski_amber00.html |title=UCLA Player Biography |access-date=2006-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202083621/http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/w-wpolo/mtt/stachowski_amber00.html |archive-date=2009-02-02 |url-status=dead|df= }}</ref> and 2001 [[California Interscholastic Federation]] Player of the Year. In [[Club (organization)|club]] play she was a member of the 2001 Golden West team that won the Winter Junior Nationals, and was named [[Most valuable player|MVP]] of the tournament.

As a UCLA [[freshman]] in 2002, Stachowski scored a goal in her first collegiate game against [[UC Irvine]], and recorded first collegiate career hat trick against [[Stanford]]. In her first year, she had 29 goals on 43 attempts.

==International and Olympics==
At the fourth FINA Junior World Women's Water Polo Championships in 2001, UCLA freshman Amber Stachowski led the US to a gold medal. Stachowski led the US team with four goals in the 10-9 overtime victory over Australia. Stachowski [[redshirt freshman|redshirted]] during the 2003–2004 season to train with the United States National Team and play in the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens, Greece]]. But in 2003, Stachowski sustained a concussion in a motor vehicle accident on a [[Interstate 405 (California)|Los Angeles freeway]], which kept her out of the water for a few weeks.<ref>[http://www.usoc.org/11631_18908.htm USOC News: Amber battles back after car accident]</ref> She recovered and qualified for the Olympic team 6 months later.

After Team USA earned first place in the 2003 Pan American Games and 2003 FINA World Championships,<ref>[http://www.usoc.org/26_13778.htm USOC Player Biography]</ref> Stachowski scored two goals in the Olympics in games against Russia and Australia, helping win the bronze medal for the United States.

==See also==
* [[List of Olympic medalists in water polo (women)]]
* [[List of world champions in women's water polo]]
* [[List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Sports links}}

{{United States women's water polo squad 2004 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stachowski, Amber}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American female water polo players]]
[[Category:Water polo players at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in water polo]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins women's water polo players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in water polo]]
[[Category:Water polo players at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]