Bucknell University
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Finishes 3-1 at UC Santa Barbara Invitational with Sunday Sweep
3/8/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 8, 2009
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Bucknell women's water polo team concluded its weekend at the UC Santa Barbara Gaucho Spring Invitational Sunday with a pair of wins. The Bison went 3-1 at the two-day event. Bucknell used early leads in both games to improve to 10-9 on the season. In the first contest of the day the Bison won 10-3 over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. An 11-9 victory over California Baptist followed later in the afternoon.
Seven different players combined for the 10 goals against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps as Bucknell jumped out to a 6-0 first-quarter lead and still had a 7-0 advantage at halftime. The two teams played even in the second half.
Kandis Canonica (Burlingame, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep), Hallie Kennan (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) and Aubrey Rowe (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) tallied two goals apiece in that contest, while Valentina Rozas (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) posted a team-high five steals and led the team with three ejections drawn. Her 54 ejections drawn this season rank tied for seventh in Bison single-season history and lead second-place Canonica by nearly a two-to-one margin.
Bucknell had 15 steals and 11 ejections drawn against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Overall, 23 ejections were whistled in the contest.
In the second game of the day, which was not as close as the score indicated as the Bison led 10-5 at the conclusion of the third quarter, Shana Palencia (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) and Rozas combined for eight goals. Palencia netted five, marking a new career high for her. She has now tallied at least one goal in 10 consecutive games and her 30 goals this season are 12 shy of her career high.
Against California Baptist, Canonica was also big on the offensive end with six assists, matching her career high from last year against Wagner that also doubles as a program single-game record. Canonica now has a team-high 35 assists this season and is approaching the century mark for her career with 96.
All three Bison goalies saw action on Sunday, with Alison Carter (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) playing the first half of both games and registering six total saves. Brittany Connell (Montebello, Calif./Montebello) relieved her in the second half against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and stopped five shots, while Rachel McGillis (Los Altos, Calif./Los Altos) had five saves in the second half opposite Cal Baptist.
Bucknell, which plays at No. 13 UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday, is on its first three-game winning streak of the season. It will be the eighth game against a ranked opponent this season for the Bison.
Game 1
C-M-S 6 1 2 1 -10
BUCKNELL 0 0 2 1 -3
Goals: Canonica (2), Kennan (2), Rowe (2), Skonezney, McNally, Rozas, Prickett.
Assists: Rowe (2), Vallis, McNally, Canonica, Kennan, Vreeland.
Ejections Drawn: Rozas (3), Vallis (2), McNally (2), Canonica (2), Shopiro, Prickett.
Saves: Carter (3 svs., 0 ga., 16:00 min.), Connell (5 svs., 3 ga., 16:00 min.)
Steals: Rozas (5), Shopiro (2), Vallis (2), Prickett (2), Carter (2), Skonezney, McNally, Rowe.
Sprints: Skonezney (2-4).
Bucknell Record: 9-9
Game 2
CAL BAPTIST 3 1 1 4 -9
BUCKNELL 5 1 4 1 -11
Goals: Palencia (5), Rozas (3), Skonezney, Prickett, Rowe.
Assists: Canonica (6), Skonezney, Prickett, Rowe, McGillis.
Ejections Drawn: Rozas (4), Rowe (3), Canonica (2), Prickett (2).
Saves: Carter (3 svs., 4 ga., 16:00 min.), McGillis (5 svs., 5 ga., 16:00 min.)
Steals: Rowe (3), Carter (2), Skonezney, Vallis, Rozas, Canonica, Prickett, McGillis.
Sprints: Skonezney (0-4).
Bucknell Record: 10-9
