Women’s Water Polo Gets Past Mercyhurst, Falls to No. 13 Princeton at CWPA Easterns
Devan Kennifer registered eight goals in the first two games
of the CWPA Eastern Championship
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The No. 7 seed Harvard women's water polo team knocked off No. 10 seed Mercyhurst, 14-4, but fell to No. 2 seed Princeton, 9-6, at the CWPA Eastern Championship in Providence, R.I. Friday. Devan Kennifer scored eight goals on the day, including six in the first-round win.
Harvard cruised past Mercyhurst in the first round after jumping to a 6-2 lead after the first quarter. Kennifer netted three scores in the first eight minutes, while Aisha Price, Victoria Frager and Monica Zdrojewski also added tallies.
The Crimson extended its lead to 10-2 by halftime, behind solid play on the defensive end. Harvard goalie Ariel Dukes kept the Lakers scoreless in the second and ended the day with only two goals against,while contributing four saves, in 16 minutes of action.
Jasmine Griffin relieved Dukes in the second half and produced
an identical four-save, two-goals-against line.
Zdrojewski ended the day with a hat trick, while A. Price scored
twice and Elise Molnar and Shayna Price also added second-half
goals.
The win marks the second straight year the Crimson has won its
CWPA Eastern Championship opener, as Harvard beat Gannon, 17-3, in
its first-round matchup last season.
In the nightcap, Harvard played No.13-ranked Princeton to a 3-3
tie at halftime, but eventually fell, 9-6. The Tigers used a
four-goal third period to propel its way to the win.
Zdrojewski and Kennifer each found the back of the cage twice and
Dukes made four saves on the defensive end.
Princeton was led by sophomore Katie Rigler in the contest. The
Southern Division Player of the Year scored four times to add to
her team lead.
The Crimson will return to the pool tomorrow when it faces Indiana
at 2 p.m. The No. 3 seed Hoosiers were upset by No. 6 seed Brown,
5-4, in earlier action. A win would put Harvard in the 5th-place
game, while a loss would send the squad to the 7th-place cgame.
Harvard 14, Mercyhurst 4
Goals
Aisha
Price 2
Devan
Kennifer 6
Elise
Molnar
Monica
Zdrojewski 3
Victoria
Frager
Shayna
Price
Assists
Aisha Price 2
Jelena
Cyr
Devan Kennifer 3
Riley
Kessler
Monica Zdrojewski 2
Victoria Frager
Shayna Price 2
Steals
Aisha Price 3
Jelena Cyr 2
Devan Kennifer
Riley Kessler
Elise Molnar 3
Monica Zdrojewski
Victoria Frager 3
Kalina
Grabb
Shayna Price
Saves
Ariel
Dukes 5
Jasmine
Griffin 4
Princeton 9, Harvard 6
Goals
Shannon Purcell
Devan Kennifer 2
Elise Molnar
Monica Zdrojewski 2
Assists
Shannon Purcell
Devan Kennifer
Elise Molnar
Monica Zdrojewski
Shayna Price
Steals
Aisha Price 2
Devan Kennifer 3
Elise Molnar
Monica Zdrojewski 3
Victoria Frager
Shayna Price 2
Ariel Dukes 2
Saves
Ariel Dukes 5
