Tag: women’s water polo

By Scott Padula

Writer

The women’s water polo team finished the regular season at 11-16 after winning one and losing two this past weekend. In the final game of the regular season, the Bison could not steal a victory from Hartwick on Senior Day, falling to the Hawks 14-9. The Bison split decisions on Saturday, bouncing back in the nightcap to defeat Gannon 26-6 after losing to Mercyhurst 13-10 in the early game.

On Sunday in the final game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue fell to No. 12 Hartwick. Before the game, Kandis Canonica ’11, Haley Prickett ’11 and Meghan McNally ’11 were honored in a Senior Day recognition ceremony. The Hawks started the game strong, opening up a 3-1 first-quarter advantage. The Bison mounted a comeback and took their only lead in the second quarter. Hartwick responded with five quick goals of their own to take an 8-4 lead into halftime. The Bison could not overcome the four goal deficit in the second half and fell 14-9. Seniors Canonica and Prickett combined for four goals and three assists in their final regular season game as Bison. Hallie Kennan’12 led the team in scoring with three goals of her own.

In Saturday’s nightcap, the Orange and Blue dominated Gannon on the offensive end to take a 26-6 victory. Seniors Canonica and Prickett led the Bison charge, scoring five goals each. Canonica also tallied five assists in the game. Canonica’s total of 10 points tied the Bison single-game record originally set by Julie McLaughlin in 2001 and matched by Aubrey Rowe in 2006. The Orange and Blue also received a strong showing in goal from Rena Heim ‘14 who posted a career-high 12 saves in the victory. As a team the Bison set several program records. Eight different Bison registered multiple goals, breaking the old record of seven. The Bison also set records in goals and assists in a single game with 26 and 24, respectively.

In the first game of the weekend, Mercyhurst jumped out to an early lead, scoring four goals in both the first and second quarters. The Orange and Blue could only post two goals in each quarter as Mercyhurst took an 8-4 lead into the half. The Bison could not overcome the deficit as they fell to the Lakers 13-10. Kennan led the Bison in points with three goals and two assists. Canonica and seven other Bison found the back of the net in the loss. On the defensive end, the Orange and Blue racked up 15 steals, while McNally and Tara Murao ’13 tallied the only field blocks.

“I think this weekend was a change of identity for our team,” Prickett said. “After the first loss on Saturday, we felt terrible. We had just lost to a team worse than us simply because they were inspired and we were not. That loss motivated us to have a strong performance and rebound against Gannon. I think we came out and did just that.”

This weekend the Orange and Blue will prepare for the Eastern Championship, which will take place next weekend at Indiana. The Bison finished fifth at last year’s Eastern Championship, the best showing in program history.

By Scott Padula

Writer

The women’s water polo fell to 10-14 on the season after losing four home games last weekend. The Orange and Blue lost their first two games on Saturday to Indiana and Harvard. The Bison then dropped their final two games of the weekend on Sunday to Maryland and George Washington.

“I think this weekend showed us that we can have moments of ‘greatness.’ Unfortunately though, we have yet to string together a great game,” Haley Prickett ’11 said.

The Bison lost 16-7 to No. 12 Indiana in their first game of the weekend. The Hoosiers jumped out to a quick lead, netting the first three goal of the game. Indiana’s offensive momentum continued in the second as they tallied eight more to crack the game open. The Bison were unable to mount a comeback in the second half. Hallie Kennan ’12 and Julianne Valdes ’14 each registered two goals, while Kandis Canonica ’11 recorded a team-high four ejections drawn in the game.

In the second Saturday game, the Orange and Blue lost to a gritty Harvard squad 16-13. The contest featured several ties, but the Bison led just once. The Bison trailed by one at intermission but Harvard scored the first three goals of the third quarter to turn their lead into a four-goal cushion. The Bison could not overcome the deficit, and Harvard went on to win the game. Kennan, Mackenzie Ferry ’14 and Stephanie Ovalle ’14 all posted multiple goals and assists in the game.

The Orange and Blue dropped the first Sunday game to the Terrapins 15-9. Kennan led the team in scoring with three goals, while six other Bison found the back of the net. In total, nine different players tallied a point in the affair.

In the final game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue lost 11-9 to George Washington. The Bison never led, but were able to draw it to within one in the fourth quarter. However, the Colonials responded with two goals of their own to clinch the victory. Ferry and Kennan were the only Bison to record multiple points in the loss. In the best performance in goal of the weekend, Brittany Connell ’12 stopped seven shots in 32 minutes.

The Bison will complete their regular season schedule next weekend when they play Mercyhurst, Gannon and Hartwick. The Orange and Blue will face Mercyhurst and Gannon on Saturday. They will then see Hartwick at Kinney Natatorium on Sunday.

“We have all taken what happened this past weekend and can see that we have another chance this upcoming weekend to improve our play. It’s out there for the taking. Hopefully, it doesn’t slip through our grasp,” Prickett said.

By Scott Padula

Writer

The women’s water polo team’s record sits at 10-10 after the Bison won one and dropped two last weekend in Princeton, N.J. The Orange and Blue lost their first two games to ranked opponents in Michigan and Princeton but bounced back and defeated St. Francis in an offensive showcase.

The Bison faced St. Francis in their final game of the weekend Sunday morning, winning 16-12. The teams remained close in the first three quarters, but the Orange and Blue offense exploded in the fourth, netting six goals. The 16 total goals marked a season high for the Orange and Blue as Kandis Canonica ’11 led all scorers with four goals and three assists. Hallie Kennan ’12, Haley Prickett ’11 and three other Bison also registered multiple points in the high-scoring affair. Led by Kennan on the defensive end, the Orange and Blue recorded a season high in steals, racking up 17 total.

In Saturday’s nightcap, the Orange and Blue lost 12-5 against the host Princeton Tigers. For the first time all season, the Bison faced two ranked opponents in one day. The Bison kept it close in the first half, but the No. 18 Tigers pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Bison 5-1 en route to victory. Kennan and Prickett each notched two goals in the game. Becca Shopiro ’12 and Valdes rounded out the Bison who managed to register a point. In her first action of the weekend, Rena Heim ’14 stopped five shots.

The Bison kicked off the weekend against No. 7 Michigan, losing 15-6. After a mere one-goal deficit by the end of the first quarter, the Orange and Blue seemed poised to pull off an upset. The Wolverines responded in the next two quarters, scoring eight goals while allowing the Bison to find the back of the net only twice. Canonica, Stephanie Ovalle ’14 and Julianne Valdes ’14 scored a team-high two goals each. Canonica added a pair of assists and five ejections drawn.

The Bison had a strong showing in goal from Brittany Connell ’12 who, in 32 minutes of play, had eight saves.

This weekend they will play four games at Kinney Natatorium against Indiana, Harvard, Maryland and George Washington. The Orange and Blue will have live video broadcast on Bison Vision against the Terrapins and Colonials.

By Scott Padula

Writer

The women’s water polo team improved its record to 9-8 by winning four out of seven games in its spring break trip to California. Through her strong, consistent play, Kandis Canonica ’11 became the player with the highest total points (360) in Bison history.

The Orange and Blue opened the trip on the right foot, defeating Concordia and La Verne. They lost three of their next four games, at the hands of Long Beach State, Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. The Bison wrapped up the week by bouncing back and defeating a resilient Cal State San Bernardino team.

The first game of the trip proved to be the most exciting as the Orange and Blue scored with less than a minute left to win the game. For the first three quarters, the game remained close. To open the fourth, Concordia scored three straight goals and tied the score at 11. The Bison answered by drawing an ejection with 48 seconds remaining. After calling a timeout, Mackenzie Ferry ’14 found Canonica for the go-ahead goal. The Orange and Blue held on to win the game 12-11. Canonica finished the game with two goals and two assists, sending her career point total to 360 and catapulting her past Aubrey Rowe for the program record.

In the night cap, the Bison defeated La Verne 15-5. The Orange and Blue dominated the Leos early and often, finding the back of the net 12 times in the first three quarters. The Bison also dominated on the defensive end, racking up a total of 13 steals. Ferry and Hallie Kennan ’12 each tallied four steals in the clinic.

“I think we definitely improved throughout our games during the week,” Kennan said. “We have become a much stronger force defensively. Our next goal, however, is to become more confident and active on the offensive end so that we can be a strong team all around.”

Over three of the next four games, the Orange and Blue fell to nationally ranked powerhouses Long Beach State, Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. The Bison were only able to defeat Marist 13-11 in this five-day span.

The Bison rounded out the week defeating Cal State San Bernardino 10-7. The teams remained close throughout as the Orange and Blue could not manage to pull away. The Bison were eventually able to hold on and clinch the victory thanks in part to stellar team defense. Seven different Bison registered a steal in the affair, and solid goal-tending from Brittany Connell ’12 and Rena Heim ’14 only helped the cause. The victory set the Bison record to 9-8 on the season.

The Orange and Blue’s next test will be on April 2 when they face nationally ranked foes Princeton and Michigan.

By Scott Padula

Contributing Writer

The women’s water polo team has a record of 5-5 after losing two and winning one in the ECAC Championships in Lewisburg last weekend. The Bison lost their first two games to Iona and Brown but were able to end the weekend on a high note, defeating a seasoned Marist team 10-7.

In the first game, the fell to a well-prepared Iona team, 16-9. The Gaels dictated the tempo from the onset, scoring six of the game’s first seven goals and jumping out to a 7-2 lead by the end of the first quarter. Iona continued to rattle off goals, scoring four more in the second to take an 11-3 lead in the first half.

The Orange and Blue mounted a small comeback in the third behind the play of Haley Prickett ’11, Kandis Canonica ’11 and Amanda Skonezney ’12, but they could not overcome the deficit.

The Bison fell to 4-4 on the season. Despite the losing effort, Prickett netted three goals while Canonica registered two of her own and added an assist. Skonezney also matched their point total, finding the back of the net once and tallying two assists.

“I think this weekend showed us that we need to learn to play 100 percent together, 100 percent of the time, with 100 percent effort and intensity,” Prickett said. “We have the potential to be a great team, but first everyone on the team needs to make the decision to put it all on the line, play without fear, and have fun.”

The Orange and Blue squared off with Brown in their first game in the consolation bracket. For the second time in as many games, the Bison fell behind early. This time, the Bison were down 7-2 heading into intermission. Although they outscored Brown by a goal in the second half, the Bison were unable to gain momentum and steal a victory.

The final score was 10-6. Prickett scored a team-high two goals, while Skonezney had a pair of assists and Hallie Kennan ’12 posted a goal and an assist. They were the only three Bison to register more than one point in the game. A primary area of concern for the Bison was their six-on-five offense. The Orange and Blue were only able to find the back of the net three out of eight opportunities with the man-up advantage. In contrast, the Brown six-on-five attack went five for nine.

The Bison faced Marist in the seventh-place game Sunday morning. The teams remained close in the first two quarters, but the Orange and Blue offense exploded in the third, netting four straight goals. The Red Foxes rallied in the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to one, but the Bison responded by scoring two goals of their own to clinch a 10-7 victory.

Heather Smith ’14, Julianne Valdes ’14 and Kennan led the way, scoring a combined seven goals. Nine different Bison registered a point in the well-distributed affair. Rena Heim ’14 also had a solid performance in goal with nine saves in 16 minutes of action. Six of those saves came in the third, a quarter where the Red Foxes could not post a single goal.

The Orange and Blue’s next test will be in their annual spring break trip to California where they will compete in the Claremont Convergence.

By Scott Padula

Contributing Writer

The women’s water polo team suffered a string of tough losses last weekend at the Maryland Invitational against George Washington, Wagner and the hosting team, the Terrapins. The losses set the team’s record to 4-3 for the season.

The Orange and Blue lost 10-8 against George Washington in their opener Saturday morning. The Colonials jumped out to a 6-4 lead by intermission and the Bison were unable to overcome the deficit despite mounting a furious comeback in the fourth quarter.

Despite the losing effort, several Bison recorded impressive numbers. Hallie Kennan ’12 netted four goals, while Haley Prickett ’11 set a new career high with five assists. The Bison also had strong performances in goal from Brittany Connell ’12 and Rena Heim ’14, who registered a combined 17 saves in 32 minutes of play.

In the Saturday nightcap, the Bison lost a nail-biter to Wagner, 13-12. The Orange and Blue held a late fourth quarter lead but could not stop the relentless Seahawk offense as Wagner found the back of the net six times in the final period.

Both Kandis Canonica ’11 and Julianne Valdes ’14 tallied three goals, while Kennan added two of her own. Canonica also dished out three assists in the losing effort. The Seahawk victory marked the first in school history against the Bison in 12 attempts.

“This weekend at Maryland was a real eye opener for a lot of our players. We have a game plan that requires every single player to be on the same page, if one person isn’t fully committed it won’t work.” Said Prickett. “Hopefully we can take these losses and use them as motivation as we prepare for the ECAC Championships this weekend.”

The Bison suffered another tough loss Sunday morning, this time 12-8 at the hands of Maryland. The Terrapins controlled the tempo as they took a 7-4 lead into the half. The Orange and Blue could not respond in the second half, falling as far as six goals behind and losing their first true road game of the season.

Eight different Bison registered points, including a pair of goals from Amanda Skonezney ’12 and Prickett as well as five assists from Canonica. Canonica’s five assists upped her career point total to 350. Canonica currently sits in third place on the University’s all-time scoring list; one behind Meagan Gins ’11 and eight behind record holder Aubrey Rowe ’11.

Said new head coach Paul Rave, “Like I told our women, though we are capable of being more dominant, sometimes it’s better to come away seeing how much potential still remains to be realized.”

The team will be back in action again this weekend when it hosts the ECAC Championship, with a first-round match against Iona Saturday at 12 p.m.