Pictured: Monica Zdrojewski
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot Photography
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Harvard women's water
polo team suffered a 12-10 defeat to No. 19 Bucknell at the CWPA
Eastern Championship. Special teams play was a major component in
the contest as over half of the offense came on man-up
opportunities and five-meter penalty shots. The two squads combined
to score four penalty shots and eight man-up tallies.
Elise
Molnar opened the scoring at 1:31 with a five-meter penalty
shot. The Bisons knotted the score just 21 seconds later. Shannon
Purcell answered Bucknell's second tally with a man-up goal.
With two minutes remaining in the opening period, Devan
Kennifer rifled an equalizer into the left corner to make the
score 3-3 heading into the final minute. The Bisons found the back
of the net just before time expired to hold the lead. The two
squads traded goals throughout the match. Bucknell would get a goal
up on the Crimson and Harvard would respond with a score to tie the
game. The Bisons grasped to the one-goal advantage at halftime as
each team buried three markers in the second quarter.
Shami
Entenman entered the game between the pipes in the second half.
Entenman's presence was felt early as the junior turned aside a
five-meter penalty shot 14 ticks into the half. Bucknell managed to
score three times in the third stanza and stymied the Crimson
offense, holding it to one tally. Harvard trailed 10-7 heading down
the stretch. Purcell notched a score 1:18 into the final quarter.
Bucknell extended the lead back to three less than a minute later.
Monica
Zdrojewski pulled the Crimson within a goal halfway through the
period. The Bisons added an insurance goal with 1:20
remaining. Despite outscoring Bucknell in the final stanza,
3-2, Harvard bowed to Bucknell 12-10.
Zdrojewski paced the squad as she buried four goals. Purcell
chipped in a pair of scores in the contest. Ita
Barton-Kettleborough, Kennifer, Molnar and Aisha Price
each found the back of the cage once for the Crimson. Laurel
McCarthy and Entenman both recorded two saves in the game.
Price added six steals in the match.
Harvard will now face host Maryland in the seventh-place match,
Sunday at 10 a.m.
