Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Harvard
Women's Water Polo Defeats Harvard to Place Third at Southern Championships
4/13/2014 3:07:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior co-captains Julianne Valdes and Mackenzie Ferry each had three goals to lead the Bucknell women's water polo team to a 9-6 victory over host Harvard Sunday in the third-place game at the Southern Championships. By virtue of their third-place finish in the field, the Bison earned an automatic berth to the CWPA Championship, which will be held April 25-27 at Kinney Natatorium.
Bucknell (12-12), the second seed in the six-team field, outscored the fourth-seeded Crimson 6-3 in the second half en route to their second victory over Harvard (14-18) in just over a week. The three-goal final margin equaled the largest lead of the game for the Bison.
The third-place finish marks Bucknell's best showing at the Southern Championships since winning the 2010 title.
Seniors accounted for seven of the nine goals for the Bison as fourth-year player Samantha Deana added one goal. Sophomores Hannah Sunday and Eleanor Marrs each also found the back of the net once, but the story was the offense of Valdes and Ferry. Valdes equaled a season- and career-high with six points (3g, 3a), while Ferry did the same with her five-point (3g, 2a) output.
Valdes now has 300 career points (176g, 124a), becoming just the fifth player in program history to reach that plateau.
Sunday drew a team-high six ejections Sunday, giving her 15 in the three games this weekend, and a Bucknell single-season record 98 on the year. She eclipsed the seven-year-old standard of 96 held by Meagan Gins. Sunday now ranks sixth on the career ledger with 147 ejections drawn.
Rena Heim totaled seven saves in cage as the Bison have now held six of their last seven opponents to single figures in goals.
Bucknell opened the Southern Championship Saturday and split contests against Mercyhurst (W, 8-3) and Brown (L, 12-9).
The Bison will be idle next weekend before hosting the CWPA Championship in two weeks.
BUCKNELL 1 2 3 3 -9
HARVARD 2 1 1 2 -6
Goals: Valdes (3), Ferry (3), Sunday, Marrs, Deana.
Assists: Valdes (3), Ferry (2), Marrs (2), Sunday.
Field Blocks: Ovalle, Ferry, Stanbach.
Ejections Drawn: Sunday (6), Ovalle, Valdes, McCarthy, Deana.
Saves: Heim (7 svs., 6 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Valdes (2), Marrs (2), Ovalle, Ferry, Deana, Heim.
Sprints: Deana (1-2), Marrs (0-2).
Bucknell Record: 12-12.
