Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Wagner
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Splits Pair of One-Goal Games at Princeton Invitational
2/21/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
Feb. 21, 2009
PRINCETON, N.J. – Kandis Canonica (Burlingame, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) scored a career-high five goals, including the game-winner in sudden-victory overtime, to lead the Bucknell women's water polo team to a hard-fought 9-8 victory over Wagner in its first game at the Princeton Invitational on Saturday afternoon. Just over two hours later the Bison were back in the pool against No. 20 Brown and lost by a tight 10-9 margin after falling behind 3-0 early in the contest.
Bucknell (4-5) jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter against Wagner, a team it is now 9-0 against all-time. The Seahawks netted six second-half goals to knot the score at 8-all at the end of regulation. Neither team found the back of the net in either of the two regular three-minute overtime periods. Canonica then ended the game on the third possession of the sudden-victory overtime with a backhanded shot. The sophomore added two assists to her goal total, giving her a team-high seven in the contest.
Amanda Skonezney (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), who won 6 of 7 sprints in the game, and 9 of 11 overall on Saturday, tallied two goals, while Aubrey Rowe (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored once and dished out a team-high three assists as she went past 250 career points.
The Bison played the majority of the second half and the entire overtime without leading scorer Valentina Rozas (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho), who was whistled for her third ejection in the third quarter. Rozas managed just one goal before her departure. The junior registered just one goal and one assist on Saturday, but did record five steals in the two games.
Against Wagner, Bucknell equaled a season high with 16 steals, led by five from goalie Alison Carter (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor), who also stopped six shots against the Seahawks. She followed that performance with eight saves in the nightcap.
Rowe and Shana Palencia (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) were the offensive stars for Bucknell in the second game against the nationally ranked Bears, but the Bison were unable to overcome their early deficit. Palencia scored a career-high four goals and registered a pair of assists, while Rowe totaled three goals and two assists, giving her nine points on the day.
Rowe led the Bison with five steals against Brown, equaling her career high. She now has 192 in her career, placing her just seven behind Meg Blitzer, who holds the program record.
While Rozas had an off day offensively, she was strong in other areas against the Bears as she had three steals of her own and drew a team-high four ejections.
Bucknell, which is slated to play four games in a 24-hour span this weekend, will wrap up play at the Princeton Invitational on Sunday with games against Marist (10:50 a.m.) and Harvard (2:20 p.m.). The Bison are a combined 13-5 against those two teams over the years.
Game 1
WAGNER 1 1 3 3 0 0 0 -8
BUCKNELL 4 0 2 2 0 0 1 -9
Goals: Canonica (5), Skonezney (2), Rozas, Rowe.
Assists: Rowe (3), Canonica (2), Palencia, Vallis.
Ejections Drawn: Canonica (3), Rowe (3), Prickett (2), Palencia, Rozas.
Saves: Carter (6 svs., 8 ga., 40:00 min.).
Steals: Carter (5), Prickett (3), Skonezney (2), Rozas (2), Rowe (2), Palencia, Canonica.
Sprints: Skonezney (6-7).
Bucknell Record: 4-4
Game 2
BROWN 3 2 2 3 -10
BUCKNELL 0 3 2 4 -9
Goals: Palencia (4), Rowe (3), Skonezney, Vallis.
Assists: Palencia (2), Rowe (2), Skonezney, Rozas, Prickett.
Ejections Drawn: Rozas (4), Canonica (2), Prickett.
Saves: Carter (8 svs., 10 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Rowe (5), Rozas (3), Palencia, Canonica, Carter.
Sprints: Skonezney (3-4).
Bucknell Record: 4-5
