Shannon Purcell scored three times in Harvard's 18-12 win over George Washington (photo Gil Talbot).

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Harvard women's water polo team took down a pair of Southern Division foes in Washington, D.C. Saturday. The Crimson beat Mercyhurst, 10-4, and George Washington, 18-12.

In the opener, Harvard (12-9, 4-1) jumped to a 4-0 lead and cruised to victory. Shayna Price, who won the CWPA Southern Division Player of the Week award March 26, got things started for the Crimson with a pair of goals. S. Price scored the game's first two goals within the first 2:25 of the contest. Devan Kennifer and Monica Zdrojewski also added first-period goals.

Zdrojewski also tallied scores in the second and third frames for her fifth hat trick of the season.

Shannon Purcell, Victoria Frager and Kalina Grabb added goals for Harvard and Kennifer found the back of the cage two times. Kennifer had five steals in the match and Frager added four, while S. Price chipped in three helpers. Harvard made 24 steals, a season high, in the game.

The Crimson finished the day with an offensive outburst against George Washington. Harvard's 18 goals were the most since a 19-goal performance against Connecticut College on April 2 of last season.

Harvard scored at least five goals in three of the four quarters, including five in the first frame and six more in the second. The Crimson used a balance scoring attack in the game, as four players netted hat tricks. Aisha Price, Lizzie Abbott and Devan Kennifer each scored four times and Shannon Purcell had three goals.  

Ariel Dukes made 11 saves in the game; her seventh game of double digits saves this year. Kennifer once again led Harvard on the defensive end, picking up three saves.

The wins pushed Harvard to 4-1 in Southern Division games and clinched the division's No. 2 seed.

Harvard will host its last home game of the season April 10, when Hartwick visits Cambridge.  

Harvard 10, Mercyhurst 4
Goals
Shannon Purcell
Devan Kennifer 2
Monica Zdrojewski 3
Victoria Frager
Kalina Grabb
Shayna Price 2

Assists
Lizzie Abbott
Devan Kennifer 2
Monica Zdrojewski
Victoria Frager
Kalina Grabb
Shayna Price 3

Steals
Aisha Price
Lizzie Abbott 2
Shannon Purcell 2
Jelena Cyr 2
Devan Kennifer 5
Riley Kessler
Elise Molnar 2
Monica Zdrojewski
Victoria Frager 4
Kalina Grabb
Shayna Price 2
Ariel Dukes

Saves
Ariel Dukes 7
Jasmine Griffin 1

Harvard 18, George Washington 12
Goals
Aisha Price 4
Lizzie Abbott 4
Shannon Purcell 3
Devan Kennifer 4
Elise Molnar
Monica Zdrojewski
Victoria Frager

Assists
Aisha Price
Lizzie Abbott
Shannon Purcell 2
Devan Kennifer 4
Elise Molnar
Monica Zdrojewski 3
Shayna Price 3

Steals
Aisha Price 2
Lizzie Abbott 2
Devan Kennifer 3
Elise Molnar
Monica Zdrojewski

Saves
Ariel Dukes 11