Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Wagner
Bison Women's Water Polo Edges Wagner, 5-3, in Opening Round of Easterns
4/23/2004 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
April 23, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's first game of the women's water polo Eastern Championship on Friday, April 23, was all an eight vs. nine-seed game should be. The eighth-seeded Bison, hosting the tournament for the first time, squared off against number nine Wagner in the first game of the day. The two teams kicked off the event in style, playing an intense game from start to finish that ended 5-3 in BU's favor.
Defense was the name of the game for the first five minutes of the first quarter before the Seahawks finally found a way to get past Bucknell goalkeeper Mandy Bynum with 1:23 left in the frame. Courtney Crase gave Wagner the 1-0 lead when she took a pass from teammate Amanda Heintzelman for the score. The visitors made it 2-0 with Monica Lopez's unassisted goal with just two seconds left on the clock.
The Orange and Blue offense finally made some noise 2:40 into the second quarter when junior Meg Blitzer took advantage of a man-up situation to make it a 2-1 game. Both teams stepped up the defense for the remainder of the half, not allowing another goal.
BU tied the game at 2-2 just 1:11 into the second half when senior Kelly Hofstetter put forth an incredible effort on a rebounded Blitzer shot. Blitzer's shot bounced back into the field of play where Hofstetter battled two other Wagner players and goalkeeper Katie Hauck before finally getting enough on the ball to dribble it into the back right corner for the tie.
The Seahawks went back ahead at the 4:23 mark on Stacey Travous' empty-net goal. The Bison defense did a stellar job on Travous, and forced what appeared to be a steal. Travous never gave up, however, and when Bynum came out to challenge for the ball, Wagner's leading scorer swiped it away just in time and lobbed it into the open cage.
With 1:30 left to play in the third quarter, Bucknell drew an ejection in their defensive end of the pool. In a wise coaching move, John Zeigler called a 20 second timeout to allow his squad to set up the offense in the extra-man situation. The move paid off as freshman Elizabeth Jensen made a nice lob pass over the defense to classmate Mallory Sullivan, who one-touched the ball in for the score with 1:17 left. Sullivan struck again at 5:20 of the final frame, giving the Orange and Blue their first lead of the game, when she buried a pass from junior Katie Hartigan in the upper right corner to just beat the shot clock.
It appeared as if the Seahawks would tie the contest again at 4-4 when they were awarded a four-meter shot with 2:32 remaining. Bynum had different plans, coming up huge with a save on Crase's penalty attempt to preserve the one-goal lead. Just 22 seconds later, Blitzer added an insurance goal in another man-up situation to give Bucknell a 5-3 edge.
Wagner was on the attack with under a minute to play, and Hartigan and Taylor Voeltz combined to force a critical turnover with 30 seconds remaining, giving the Bison possession with the shot clock off. BU played a game of keep away in the closing seconds to come away with the exciting victory.
Bucknell improves to 15-16 overall with the win, its second-straight opening-round win in the Eastern Championship. The Orange and Blue face top-seeded Michigan, also ranked seventh in the country, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 24. Wagner is 15-16 overall.
WAGNER 2 0 1 0 -- 3 BUCKNELL 0 1 2 2 -- 5
WAGNER BREAKDOWN: Goals - Crase, Lopez, Travous. Assists - Heintzelman.
BUCKNELL BREAKDOWN: Goals - Blitzer 2, Sullivan 2, Hofstetter. Assists - Jensen, Hartigan.
Steals: Wagner 8 (Heintzelman, Kramer 2). Bucknell (Voeltz 5).
Ejections Drawn: Wagner 6. Bucknell 10.
Saves: Wagner (Hauck) 11. Bucknell (Bynum) 10.
Team Records: Wagner 15-16. Bucknell 15-16.
