Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
#13 Cal State Northridge
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Drops Two Games as West Coast Trip Continues
3/13/2012 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
March 13, 2012
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. –The Bucknell women's water polo team continued its West Coast trip on Tuesday and lost a pair of contests. The Bison lost to No. 13 Cal State Northridge, 14-4, and then dropped a 10-9 decision to Occidental in a game that was not originally on the Bucknell schedule entering the day. The Bison fell to 10-12 on the season and 2-4 on their current 12-game trip to California.
The game against the host Matadors marked the fifth ranked opponent Bucknell has played this year. The Bison were outscored 9-1 in the middle two quarters by 13th-ranked Cal State Northridge.
Bucknell jumped on top of Occidental early, and still led 9-7 at the end of three quarters, but the Tigers outscored the Bison 3-0 in the fourth quarter for the one-goal victory. Bucknell had won the last two meetings in the series after Occidental claimed the first two games.
Julianne Valdes (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) scored three of the Bison's four goals in the opening loss and then tacked on one more goal and an assist in the nightcap. Mackenzie Ferry (Enola, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored one goal in each game as she and Valdes were the only Bucknell players to find the back of the net in both outings. With two goals apiece against Occidental, Taylor Barnett (Houston, Texas/Clear Lake) and Barbara Peterson (Palo Alto, Calif./Castilleja) also registered mutli-goal days.
The Bison were a combined 4-for-13 on six-on-five opportunities in the two games, while they stopped their opponents six times out of 16 chances.
Rena Heim (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin), who totaled nine saves in 54 minutes, and Brittany Connell (Montebello, Calif./Montebello), who registered four saves in 10 minutes against Cal State Northridge, both saw time in the cage for Bucknell.
The Bison will get back in the pool Wednesday at UC Santa Barbara. Game time is 7 p.m. Eastern. The Gauchos are ranked tied for 16th nationally in this week's poll.
Game 1
BUCKNELL 2 1 0 1 -4
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 3 4 5 2 -14
Goals: Valdes (3), Ferry.
Assists: Shopiro, Murao, Kennan, Deana.
Field Blocks: none.
Ejections Drawn: Barnett (4), Ovalle, Murao, Frankeny, Carroll.
Saves: Heim (3 svs., 12 ga., 22:00 min.), Connell (4 svs., 2 ga., 10:00 min.).
Steals: Valdes (2), Murao, Kennan, Connell.
Sprints: Valdes (0-2), Ovalle (0-1), Morris (0-1).
Bucknell Record: 10-11.
Game 2
BUCKNELL 4 3 2 0 -9
OCCIDENTAL 3 3 1 3 -10
Goals: Barnett (2), Peterson (2), Valdes, Ferry, Bozorghadad, Kennan, Morgan.
Assists: Ferry (2), Shopiro (2), Valdes, Smith, Morgan, Bozorghadad.
Field Blocks: Valdes, Smith, Shopiro, Peterson.
Ejections Drawn: Morgan (2), Smith, Murao, Peterson, Frankeny.
Saves: Heim (6 svs., 10 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Bozorghadad, Kennan, Heim.
Sprints: Valdes (2-2), Carroll (1-1), Peterson (0-1).
Bucknell Record: 10-12.
