Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Cal Lutheran
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Completes Trip with Sweep of Cal Lutheran and Chapman
3/15/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 15, 2009
CLAREMONT, Calif. – On its final day of competition during its Spring Break trip to California, the Bucknell women's water polo team posted a pair of wins Saturday at the Claremont Convergence. The Bison defeated Cal Lutheran 9-7 and followed that up a few hours later with a 14-6 win over Chapman. Bucknell went 7-3 on its 10-game trip and is now 14-11 this season. The Bison have now won four games in a row for the first time this year.
Valentina Rozas (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) scored four goals in each game, while Aubrey Rowe (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) had two goals against Cal Lutheran, the No. 2 ranked team in Division III, and then tied Rozas for team-high honors against Chapman. Rozas and Rowe also hooked up on the game-clinching score against Cal Lutheran. Rozas tallied her fourth goal of the contest on a pass from Rowe with just over a minute that made the score 9-7 heading into the final minute.
Bucknell's goalies, Alison Carter (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) and Rachel McGillis (Los Altos, Calif./Los Altos), were called on to make just three saves against Cal Lutheran, mainly because the defense registered 18 steals, two shy of the season high for the Bison. Shana Palencia (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) and Haley Prickett (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) led the team with four steals apiece.
In the nightcap, Bison head coach John Abdou, who won his 40th career game Saturday, switched up his starting lineup against Chapman, giving some of the younger Bison more minutes. While Rozas and Rowe accounted for over half the team's goals, freshman Amanda Skonezney (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), sophomore Kristin Vallis (Ridgefield, Conn./Phillips Exeter Academy) and freshman Hallie Kennan (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) had one goal apiece, while sophomore Meghan McNally (Floral Park, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) accounted for two.
Freshman Brittany Connell (Montebello, Calif./Montebello) played the second half in goal against Chapman and stopped five shots while allowing four goals. McGillis played the first half and registered seven saves against two goals allowed.
Bucknell led by a 12-3 margin entering the fourth quarter against Chapman.
After playing 11 games in a 10-day span, the Bison are now idle until March 28 when they plat at Princeton in a game that will be aired on ESPNU.
Game 1
BUCKNELL 2 2 4 1 -9
CAL LUTHERAN 2 1 2 2 -7
Goals: Rozas (4), Palencia (2), Rowe (2), Skonezney.
Assists: Prickett (2), Rowe (2), Palencia, Skonezney, Canonica.
Ejections Drawn: Palencia (2), Rozas (2), Prickett (2), Vallis.
Saves: Carter (2 svs., 3 ga., 16:00 min.), McGillis (1 svs., 4 ga., 16:00 min.)
Steals: Palencia (4), Prickett (4), Carter (3), Rowe (2), McGillis (2), Shopiro, Rozas, Canonica.
Sprints: Skonezney (4-4).
Bucknell Record: 13-11
Game 2
BUCKNELL 4 2 6 2 -14
CHAPMAN 2 0 1 3 -6
Goals: Rozas (4), Rowe (4), McNally (2), Skonezney, Vallis, Canonica, Kennan.
Assists: Vallis (4), Canonica (4), McNally, Rozas, Kennan, Vreeland, McGillis.
Ejections Drawn: Vallis (3), McNally, Rozas, Canonica, Prickett, Rowe.
Saves: McGillis (7 svs., 2 ga., 16:00 min.), Connell (5 svs., 4 ga., 16:00 min.)
Steals: Rozas (3), Shopiro (2), McNally (2), Kennan (2), Vreeland (2), Skonezney, Canonica, McGillis.
Sprints: Skonezney (0-2), Rowe (1-2).
Bucknell Record: 14-11
