No. 25 Women's Water Polo to Compete at Princeton Invitational This Weekend

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's water polo team will compete in its second tournament of the season this weekend at the Princeton Invitational. Bucknell faces off against Wagner (11:30 a.m.) and Iona (5 p.m.) on Saturday, followed by matches against Cal Lutheran (8:30 a.m.) and Villanova (2:30 p.m.) on Sunday. All games will be broadcast on the Ivy League Digital Network.

The Bison (1-3) joined the national rankings after their first slate of games last weekend. They come in ranked in a tie for No. 25 with Cal State Northridge and Cal State East Bay. Their three losses all came against nationally ranked opponents and were by a combined seven goals.

In a matchup of ranked teams, the Bison will open the Princeton Invitational against No. 19 Wagner. It will be the second consecutive game for Bucknell against the Seahawks. The squad played Wagner at last weekend's Bruno Classic, ultimately falling 11-9 to the Seahawks. Eleanor Marrs tallied three goals and two assists in the game, while Colleen Barron and Hannah Sunday both added two scores each.

Iona, the other competitor that Bucknell will face off against on Saturday, has played the Bison evenly over the years, splitting the all-time series 6-6. The last matchup between these two squads in 2014 ended up a 9-6 victory in favor of Bucknell, with Marrs leading the squad with four assists.

On Sunday, the Bison take on Cal Lutheran and Villanova, and have had much success against the two clubs. Bucknell has beaten Cal Lutheran both times that these teams have met, and it also holds a 19-6 record over Villanova, which includes a current 17-game winning streak over the Wildcats.

Bucknell was also able to hold its ground at last weekend's Bruno Classic against strong competition to open the season. A pair of close games on Saturday included a 10-8 loss versus No. 20 Marist and a 14-11 defeat against No. 4 Hawaii. However, the Bison rebounded well on Sunday, defeating St. Francis Brooklyn 18-5 in the first game of the day. Bucknell started quickly, outscoring the Terriers 7-0 in the first quarter, with 11 different Bison ultimately scoring in the game.

Sunday led the team with 10 goals at the Bruno Classic, while Marrs added eight goals and four assists. Tegan Stanbach tallied six goals in addition to six steals, and Emily Konishi scored five times in her collegiate debut.

Following the Princeton Invitational, the Bison will receive a weekend off from competition before seeing their first home action of the season on Feb. 27-28. They will face George Washington, Gannon, Wagner and VMI at the Bison Invitational.

Princeton Invitational Schedule
February 13: vs. Wagner, 9 a.m. & vs. Iona, 5 p.m.
February 14: vs. Cal Lutheran, 8:30 a.m. & vs. Villanova, 2:30 p.m.