Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Opens Eastern Championship Friday Afternoon vs. League Rival Princeton
4/29/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
April 29, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Just five days after defeating Princeton for the Southern Championships title, the Bucknell women's water polo team will square off with the Tigers again Friday afternoon in its opener at the Eastern Championship at Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center. Game time is 1 p.m.
The winner of the three-day Eastern Championship will earn an automatic berth to next month's NCAA Championships. The Bison are the fourth seed in the eight-team field and will play top-seeded Michigan or eighth-seeded Harvard on Saturday. Sunday's championship game is slated for 2:30 p.m.
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Notebook (15-9, 5-1 CWPA)
• Bucknell moved into the national rankings for the first time since 2008 this week. The Bison are ranked No. 19 nationally. A total of four teams participating at the Eastern Championship are ranked as Bucknell joins No. 7 Michigan, No. 11 Hartwick and No. 14 Indiana.
• Bucknell claimed its first-ever Southern Championships title this past weekend, defeating George Washington and Princeton. The top-seeded Bison made their third appearance in the title game.
• Bucknell will be competing in its ninth consecutive Eastern Championship. The Bison's best finish at the Eastern Championship was a fourth-place showing in 2006.
• Bucknell enters the Eastern Championship on a three-game winning streak, equaling its longest of the season.
• With a 15-9 record entering the Eastern Championship, Bucknell is guaranteed of its third consecutive above-.500 finish. The Bison have never before finished above .500 more than two straight years.
• Bucknell has been especially strong late in games this year, outscoring its opponents 57-36 in the fourth quarter. That trend held true at the Southern Championships as the Bison outscored George Washington and Princeton by a 5-3 margin.
• Bucknell swept the CWPA weekly awards for the second straight week, and third time overall this season, earlier this week. Kandis Canonica was named the Player of the Week, Alison Carter earned Defensive Player of the Week honors and Tara Murao was recognized as the Rookie of the Week.
• Kandis Canonica enters the weekend 11 points shy of becoming the first player in program history with three 100-point campaigns.
• Sophomore Hallie Kennan registered her 100th career point in Sunday's Southern Championships title game. There are five current Bison with at least 100 career points, led by Canonica's 324, which stands third on the all-time list.
• Valentina Rozas enters the weekend 10 goals shy of tying Meagan Gins for the program record for career goals. Rozas has scored 227 times in her career and is one of just three Bison to ever net more than 200 goals.
Bison on Career Record Lists
Kandis Canonica: Points (3rd, 324), Goals (7th, 153), Assists (1st, 171), Ejections Drawn (4th, 127), Shots (7th, 368)
Alison Carter: Steals (7th, 161), Saves (3rd, 687)
Shana Palencia: Points (9th, 235), Goals (9th, 140), Assists (t-6th, 95), Steals (8th, 157), Sprints Won (7th, 38), Shots (4th, 400), Games Played (t-10th, 123), Games Started (7th, 104)
Valentina Rozas: Points (4th, 322), Goals (2nd, 227), Assists (t-6th, 95), Steals (3rd, 191), Ejections Drawn (1st, 284), Shots (2nd, 558), Games Played (8th, 126), Games Started (t-2nd, 122)
Amanda Skonezney: Sprints Won (2nd, 114)
Bucknell's Weekly Awards in 2010
CWPA Southern Division Player of the Week
- Kandis Canonica (Feb. 16, April 19, April 28), Hallie Kennan (March 1, March 15, March 30)
CWPA Southern Division Defensive Player of the Week
- Alison Carter (Feb. 16, March 15, April 19, April 28), Valentina Rozas (March 10)
CWPA Southern Division Rookie of the Week
- Krystle Morgan (Feb. 16, April 19), Tara Murao (March 30, April 28)
Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week
- Hallie Kennan (March 29)
Bucknell vs. Princeton
• Bucknell vs. Princeton: 5-28 (Bucknell 5-6 in last 11 meetings, including 2-1 in 2010)
Up Next
• The winner of the Eastern Championship earns an automatic berth in next month's NCAA Championships in San Diego, Calif. The Bison have never advanced to the NCAA Championships.
Eastern Championship Schedule
Friday, April 30
Game 1: Michigan vs. Harvard, 11:30 a.m.
Game 2: Bucknell vs. Princeton, 1 p.m.
Game 3: Hartwick vs. Maryland, 2:30 p.m.
Game 4: Indiana vs. Brown, 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 1
Game 5: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1, 1:30 p.m.
Game 6: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 2
Seventh Place: Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5, 10 a.m.
Fifth Place: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11:30 a.m.
Third Place: Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7, 1 p.m.
First Place: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Eastern Championship Seeding
1. Michigan
2. Hartwick
3. Indiana
4. Bucknell
5. Princeton
6. Brown
7. Maryland
8. Harvard
