Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
George Washington
Strong Second Half Propels Bucknell Women's Water Polo to 10-7 Victory Over George Washington
3/27/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 27, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Hallie Kennan (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) and Shana Palencia (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) each scored three goals and Bucknell held George Washington to two goals in the final 21 minutes as the Bison women's water polo team defeated the Colonials 10-7 Saturday evening at Kinney Natatorium. The victory was the second of the day for Bucknell, which posted a 15-10 win over No. 19 Princeton earlier in the day.
Early on it appeared as though Bucknell (11-7, 3-0 CWPA Southern Division) would have trouble posting its second consecutive win and sweeping the regular-season series from George Washington (7-10, 0-2 CWPA) as the Colonials scored three straight first-half goals to take a 4-2 advantage. They continued to lead at 5-3, but then their offense went dormant. In a span of 21 minutes, 41 seconds, George Washington managed just one goal, while Bucknell reeled off seven over that span, including five straight at one point.
Kennan, who tallied nine goals in the two contests Saturday, was instrumental in the second-half resurgence of the Bison offense. She scored her three goals in a span of 2:22 in the second half and assisted on another during the 5-0 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth. Kennan's second goal was an impressive one, thanks to a touch pass from Valentina Rozas (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho), who piled up four assists in the contest. The score also gave Bucknell its largest lead of the game to that point (8-6).
The Bison stretched their lead to as many as four goals (10-6) before George Washington's Megan Walker converted a penalty shot with eight seconds remaining to make the final score 10-7.
Palencia, who is now one goal shy of 10th place on the program's career list, scored a single goal in the second, third and fourth quarters. Four other Bucknell players contributed a goal apiece, including a pair of freshmen (Erica White, Krystle Morgan).
After stopping 15 shots earlier in the day against Princeton, Bison goalie Alison Carter (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) recorded seven saves. A number of George Washington shots glanced off the post and sailed over the goal, meaning Carter was not called into duty as much. She yielded seven goals, but one of those came following an ejection that was whistled on her. Carter now has 169 stops on the year, just five short of her 2009 total.
With its two wins Saturday, Bucknell is now 14-2 in its last 16 regular-season league contests. The Bison finished 5-1 in league play each of the last two years and is now undefeated halfway through its slate this year.
Bucknell will wrap up its weekend of play against league foe Maryland Sunday at 1 p.m. The Terrapins, who are receiving votes in the latest national poll, will enter the contest with an 11-10 overall record.
GEORGE WASHINGTON 3 2 1 1 -7
BUCKNELL 2 2 4 2 -10
Goals: Palencia (3), Kennan (3), White, Skonezney, Prickett, Morgan.
Assists: Rozas (4), Canonica (2), Skonezney, Kennan.
Field Blocks: Rozas.
Ejections Drawn: Rozas (2), Canonica (2), Palencia, Murao, Prickett, Kennan.
Saves: Carter (7 svs., 7 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Kennan (2), Carter (2), Rozas, Canonica, Prickett.
Sprints: Skonezney (2-4).
Record: 11-7, 3-0 CWPA.
