Women's Water Polo Kicks Off Northern Division Play; Travels to No. 11 Hartwick

Pictured: Senior co-captain Kelly Peeler
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot Photography

The Particulars:
Harvard travels to No. 11 Hartwick to kick off Collegiate Water Polo Association Northern Division action. The Crimson and Hawks square off at 6:30 p.m. at Moyer Pool.

Last Time Out:
Harvard fell to Marist, 10-8, in the final non-conference match of the season. Freshman Aisha Price paced the offense with a hat trick in the game. Sophomore Shannon Purcell buried two markers in the match while classmates Ita Barton-Kettleborough, Devan Kennifer and Monica Zdrojewski tallied a goal each. Second-year netminder Laurel McCarthy made five saves in the contest.

About Harvard:
The Crimson heads into CWPA Northern Division play after compiling an 11-9 record in the non-conference portion of the schedule. The Crimson is 1-4 on the season against teams ranked in the top 20 of the national poll. Devan Kennifer leads the team with 54 goals. Monica Zdrojewski is second on the squad with 36 tallies while Ita Barton-Kettleborough and Aisha Price have each buried 24 markers. Laurel McCarthy has turned aside 125 shots this season as Harvard owns a 9.76 goals-against-average

About Hartwick:
The Hawks enter the match ranked No. 11 in the national poll with an 18-4 overall record. Hartwick owns a 4-4 record against opponents ranked in the top 20. Jessica McKee leads the team in goals with 52 on the year and points with 76. Christina Evans has chipped in 48 scores this season. Hartwick has eight other players who have scored 10 or more goals on the season. Jess Dorman has seen most of the action between the posts as she owns a 9.84 goals-against-average and has stopped 178 shots.

What Happens If:
Harvard is 11-2 on the year when scoring 10 or more goals in a game. The Crimson has registered double-digits on the scoreboard in its last six games. Harvard is also 8-1 this season when holding opponents to nine or less goals. The Crimson is 2-0 on the season in games decided in overtime. Harvard defeated Wagner 10-8 at the Princeton Invitational, Feb. 20, and Bucknell 13-12 at the Elite Eight Invitational, Feb. 28.

Goals Galore:
Harvard is averaging 9.95 goals-per-game and has had 12 players notch goals this season. Eight players have scored 10 or more goals on the year. As a team, the Crimson has recorded an astonishing 26 hat tricks through the first 20 games of the season.

Good Ol’ Blodgett:
The Crimson returns home after playing the last 17 matches on the road.  Harvard owns a perfect 4-0 record at Blodgett Pool this season. The Crimson defeated Villanova, Siena, New York Athletic Club and Iona at the Harvard Invitational to start the season. The team will play three more contests at home this season.

Coming Up:
Harvard returns home to square off against Brown in a Northern Division matchup, April 14. The Crimson and Bears were originally scheduled to play April 7.