Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
#14 UC Santa Barbara
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Drops 10-7 Decision to No. 14 UC Santa Barbara
3/19/2011 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 19, 2011
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Facing its third ranked opponent in its last four games, the Bucknell women's water polo team lost by a 10-7 score at UC Santa Barbara Saturday evening. The Bison outscored the Gauchos 5-1 in the fourth quarter, but fell to 8-8 on the season and 3-3 on their weeklong trip to California.
Julianne Valdes (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Hallie Kennan (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) led Bucknell with two goals apiece, but the Bison netted just one first-half goal as UC Santa Barbara (14-8) led by a 5-1 margin at halftime.
Amanda Skonezney (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), Tara Murao (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) and Kandis Canonica (Burlingame, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) chipped in a goal apiece to the Bucknell scoring tally. Murao also added two ejections drawn, one steal and one assist off the bench.
Bucknell's goalie tandem of Brittany Connell (Montebello, Calif./Montebello) and Rena Heim (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) totaled nine saves with Heim registering five of them while playing the second half.
UC Santa Barbara had nine six-on-five opportunities and a pair of penalty shots, while the Bison were limited to just seven man-up chances and no penalty attempts. Valdes accounted for nearly half of Bucknell's six-on-fives with three ejections drawn.
The Bison will wrap up their spring break trip Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern against unranked Cal State San Bernardino. Bucknell has won four in a row against unranked foes, including all three on the current West Coast trip.
BUCKNELL 0 1 1 5 -7
UC SANTA BARBARA 2 3 4 1 -10
Goals: Valdes (2), Kennan (2), Skonezney, Murao, Canonica.
Assists: Ferry, Skonezney, Murao, Prickett.
Field Blocks: Smith, Shopiro, Carroll.
Ejections Drawn: Valdes (3), Murao (2), Skonezney, Prickett.
Saves: Connell (4 svs., 5 ga., 16:00 min.), Heim (5 svs., 5 ga., 16:00 min.).
Steals: Prickett (2), Kennan (2), Smith, Murao, Canonica, Heim.
Sprints: Skonezney (1-4).
Bucknell Record: 8-8.
