Bucknell University
Michigan State
Bison Women's Water Polo Opens Weekend with 9-7 Win Over Michigan State
3/21/2003 7:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 21, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Sophomore Katie Hartigan broke a 3-3 tie with a goal at the buzzer just before halftime, and the Bison women's water polo team never trailed again on their way to a 9-7 win over Michigan State, the number one club team in the country. The game was Bucknell's first contest of the weekend while hosting the Bucknell Invitational, the first-ever water polo event in BU's new Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium.
The Spartans ended a first quarter defensive battle with a score at the 1:48 mark. The score remained 1-0 for the first four minutes of the second period, before sophomore Meg Blitzer got Bucknell on the board with 3:03 to go until halftime. Michigan State regained the lead when Jen Langridge scored less than a minute later, but the Orange and Blue answered just 19 seconds later on a Larissa Brown goal to tie the game, 2-2.
The visitors again took a one-goal lead with 1:19 left in the half after a Catherine Lilley score, but Bucknell found the back of the net twice in the final minute to carry the 4-3 lead into halftime. Senior Katie Stahler, who also had three assists in the contest, scored with 57 seconds left in the frame, before Hartigan's buzzer-beater gave Bucknell the lead for good.
Bucknell carried momentum into the second half, scoring the first two goals of the third quarter for a 6-3 lead. Hartigan tallied again 2:04 into the frame, and sophomore Cody Keffer added her first goal of the game 1:37 later. Michigan State came charging back with two unanswered in the final 1:10 of the period to trail by just one, 6-5, entering the fourth.
Keffer quickly gave Bucknell some breathing room with a goal just 31 seconds into the final quarter. Two minutes later, the Spartans were again within one, 7-6, after a Carolyn Welch goal. Sophomore Eileen Ketterer pushed it to 8-6 just 22 seconds later with a goal that skipped past the Michigan State goalkeeper. Katie Clarin made it 8-7 with a score with 2:05 left in the game, before Keffer tallied her third of the contest, and the final goal of the game, with 1:22 remaining on the clock.
Bucknell will face Gannon at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 22. The first game of the day begins at 9:00 a.m. with Michigan State against George Washington.
MICHIGAN STATE 1 2 2 2 -- 7 BUCKNELL 0 4 2 3 -- 9
Goals: Keffer 3, Hartigan 2, Blitzer, Brown, Ketterer, Stahler.
Assists: Bardoe 3, Stahler 3, Behrens, Brown, L. Meitzner.
Steals: Hartigan 3, Bardoe 2, J. Meitzner 2, L. Meitzner 2, Stahler 2, Blitzer, Brown, Chesterfield, Hofstetter, Keffer.
Ejections Drawn: Bardoe 3, Keffer 1.
Goalie Saves: Chesterfield (3 SVS., 7 GA).
