Saturday, February 1
Providence, R.I.
3:30 P.M.
Bucknell University
vs
No. 24 Marist
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
No. 23 Women's Water Polo Begins 2020 Campaign at Bruno Classic
1/29/2020 9:20:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell University women's water polo team, ranked 23rd in the country in the latest CWPA Poll, will open the season for the fifth straight year at the Bruno Classic hosted by Brown on Feb. 1-2. All games throughout the tournament will be available to watch on ESPN+ ($).
Setting the Scene
What: Bruno Classic
Where: Providence, R.I.
When: Saturday, Feb. 1 – Sunday, Feb. 2
Watch: ESPN+
Tournament Central
Bucknell Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 1
No. 23 Bucknell vs. No. 24 Marist, 3:30 p.m.
No. 23 Bucknell vs. No. 10 (Division III) Austin College, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 2
No. 23 Bucknell vs. No. 4 (Division III) Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 9:10 a.m.
No. 23 Bucknell vs. Siena, 3 p.m.
Below is a more in-depth preview of the 2020 Bucknell women's water polo team.
"It's a new team, a new season," said McBride. "We lost some good players last year, but we don't expect to have a drop-off. We expect to be even better. We're young on the back end, but the upperclassmen are dialed in for the upcoming season."
Offensively, the team starts with junior Ally Furano. Furano, a native of Stamford, Conn., enjoyed a meteoric rise from year one to year two in a record-breaking sophomore campaign. Furano was named to the CWPA First Team in breaking Bucknell's single-season goals and points record, and notched the fourth-most assists in a single season in program history. Furano will head into this 2020 already ranked tenth all-time in career goals with 170, and will look to be the catalyst once again for the Bison attack.
"Ally is going to draw a lot of attention this season," said McBride. "She's accepted that role. She can't be a one-person show, and she knows that. If teams key in on her, it should open up opportunities for others to make plays."
One of those teammates who will help divert attention from Furano will be Kali Hyham, who has developed into an important player for the Bison in the center after starting all 37 games last season while scoring 60 goals and drawing 65 ejections. Hyham was named a CWPA Second Team Selection last season for her efforts.
"Kali is our big presence in the middle, she's a real nuisance for other teams in there, and I expect a lot out of her this season."
Bucknell returns a plethora of experience from last season's team, including nine players who started 12 games or more, and five of Bucknell's seven starters from the win over 11-9 win over No. 16 Harvard on the final day of the CWPA Tournament. Nina Benson, who McBride said is a great outside shooter and has developed into a solid all-around player, returns after breaking Bucknell's single-season sprint percentage record last season. Additionally, Benson added 34 goals and 27 assists last year, and McBride added that the senior is one of their best defenders on the perimeter.
"Most of our players are utility-style players," said McBride. "They can play offense and defend, and I think they're excited to prove that they are as good as or better than last year's team. We bring back a lot of veterans, but we're still a young team overall."
"We'll hope that experience will help us to a quicker start, but our season starts in April," McBride continued. "We have two and a half months to get things right, and hopefully we'll be firing on all cylinders during the CWPA games."
On the outside, McBride says Benson, Gigi Rojahn, and Paige Furano will each make a bigger impact this year. All three have proven capable of contributing to the scoring when necessary. Benson scored three goals and added three assists against Harvard in the CWPA Tournament, while P. Furano tied the school record for goals in a game with seven against the Crimson on March 31. Rojahn added eight goals and 18 assists during her junior season, and has proven to be a reliable and consistent contributor throughout her career.
"Those three have all paid their dues," said McBride. "They went through struggles as younger athletes, but they have developed into leaders in the pool. We all speak the same language. I have to say very little."
"Gigi is a very smart player, and she plays on the pool that requires the most intelligence," McBride added. "Paige is a workhorse and a buzz saw who doesn't stop. She plays 32 minutes a game, and all three of them will play a tremendous amount of minutes."
In goal, Georgia Lewis returns to the cage after a successful freshman season that saw her earn CWPA Rookie of the Week honors three times while making 239 saves, the eighth-most by a Bison player in a single season in program history. Hayley Pogue also returns for her senior season as a goalkeeper to bring added experience at the position.
"Last year was a little bit of a deer in the headlights feeling for Georgia, but she's figuring things out," said McBride. "She was a big reason why we had all of the success that we did. She is motivated to be better, and understands the important role she has. She's the hardest working player on the team by far, and really has worked to improve her craft. We expect her sophomore year to be better, and she's ready for any challenge."
Larissa Hodzic will look to have an increased role in the center after playing in 28 games last season with three starts, while McBride also added that freshman Anna Bautista could look to see some time in that spot early on. Marcela Herrera also returns after starting 31 games last season and scoring 14 goals and adding 20 assists.
Bucknell also brings in eight new freshmen for the 2020 season in Bautista, Abbie Coscia, Chloe Smith, Bella Moynihan, Sheila Tomlin, Megan LaCroix, Celia Foster, and Sam Gove.
The team reached new heights in placing third at the CWPA Tournament, its highest-ever finish. The Bison eventually fell to a strong Princeton squad in the semifinals, but McBride says consistency is the key to look to stay among the top teams in the conference.
"We have to consistently beat teams that we have been beating as a starting point," said McBride. "Anything is possible on any given day. Michigan and Princeton are two very well-coached teams with great athletes, and we'll be motivated to compete against not just those two, but everyone in the conference."
The schedule presents a challenging slate for the Bison, both in the pool and logistically. Bucknell will have just four games in Kinney Natatorium during the 2020 season, with three of those coming the second weekend of February at the annual Bucknell Invite on Feb. 7-9.
The Bison won't return to Lewisburg for a game until a March 21 matchup against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Senior Night. Bucknell will play games in six different states this season, including a trip to California from Thursday, March 12-Saturday, March 14 for four games.
"We're on the road a lot," said McBride. "It's difficult to not have the league games at home, but that type of adversity will make us tougher, and we look at it as a challenge, not as a hindrance. If we have to play the game in Siberia, we'll play the game in Siberia. It doesn't matter, we'll be there and we'll be ready to go."
Setting the Scene
What: Bruno Classic
Where: Providence, R.I.
When: Saturday, Feb. 1 – Sunday, Feb. 2
Watch: ESPN+
Tournament Central
Bucknell Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 1
No. 23 Bucknell vs. No. 24 Marist, 3:30 p.m.
No. 23 Bucknell vs. No. 10 (Division III) Austin College, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 2
No. 23 Bucknell vs. No. 4 (Division III) Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 9:10 a.m.
No. 23 Bucknell vs. Siena, 3 p.m.
- Bucknell will open its season at the Bruno Classic for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Feb. 1 matchup against Marist will be the earliest the Bison have competed in the calendar year since the 2009 season, in which Bucknell took on No. 3 Michigan on Jan. 24.
- The Bison have recorded a 6-8 record at the Tournament in the past five seasons, which includes a 5-3 record in the past two years.
- Bucknell went 3-1 at the Bruno Classic last year, defeating Siena, La Salle, and No. 20 Marist before falling in a narrow contest to No. 16 Wagner.
- Head Coach John McBride recorded his 100th win for the women's team against the Explorers at the Bruno Classic last season, and after a historic season for the men's team in the fall, became the all-time leader at Bucknell in combined wins for both the men's and women's program.
- McBride, who has now accounted for 168 wins for the men's team and 123 for the women's program, needs 16 wins this season to tie John Zeigler for the most wins all-time in Bucknell women's water polo history.
- Saturday's matchup against Marist will feature junior Kali Hyham taking on her sister, Marina, a goalkeeper for the Red Foxes.
- Marist heads into the matchup ranked No. 24 in the CWPA Poll, and enters the matchup with an 0-7 record after a challenging opening slate in Hawaii and Michigan.
- All seven of the Red Foxes' opponents were ranked in the top 25, with six of those seven in the top 14.
- Marist finished 22-16 last season, with Bucknell taking the only matchup between the two teams at the Bruno Classic in 2019, 11-7.
- Ally Furano scored four times in the win, while Gigi Rojahn added a goal and three assists.
- Bucknell is 13-5 all-time in games between the two schools.
- Bucknell will take on the Kangaroos for the first time in program history.
- Bucknell owns a 7-1 record against the Athenas, with the two teams last meeting in 2016.
- Seniors Rojahn and Nina Benson each appeared in that game in Claremont, with the two picking up two assists apiece.
- The Athenas finished 9-15 last season overall, with a 7-7 mark in conference games.
- Bucknell is 12-0 all-time against the Saints, recording two wins last season by a combined +15 goal difference.
- The Bison began the 2019 season against Siena, with six players finding the back of the cage overall as Bucknell went on to win 11-4. The Bucknell defense limited then-freshman goalkeeper Georgia Lewis to just three saves in the win.
- In the second game, an 11-3 win at Kinney Natatorium, Kali Hyham scored three times, while Ally Furano added three assists.
Below is a more in-depth preview of the 2020 Bucknell women's water polo team.
Season Preview: Bucknell Looks to Maintain High Standard After Historical 2019 Season.
The Bucknell women's water polo team accomplished many feats in 2019. The team earned the second-most wins in program history with 25, defeated four ranked opponents, and earned its highest-ever finish at the CWPA Championships with a third-place showing. The squad also set a program record in goals scored with 398. Although the team lost several key players from last season's team in Emily Konishi and Sarah Mooney, McBride believes this team is able to continue right where they left off. "It's a new team, a new season," said McBride. "We lost some good players last year, but we don't expect to have a drop-off. We expect to be even better. We're young on the back end, but the upperclassmen are dialed in for the upcoming season."
Offensively, the team starts with junior Ally Furano. Furano, a native of Stamford, Conn., enjoyed a meteoric rise from year one to year two in a record-breaking sophomore campaign. Furano was named to the CWPA First Team in breaking Bucknell's single-season goals and points record, and notched the fourth-most assists in a single season in program history. Furano will head into this 2020 already ranked tenth all-time in career goals with 170, and will look to be the catalyst once again for the Bison attack.
"Ally is going to draw a lot of attention this season," said McBride. "She's accepted that role. She can't be a one-person show, and she knows that. If teams key in on her, it should open up opportunities for others to make plays."
One of those teammates who will help divert attention from Furano will be Kali Hyham, who has developed into an important player for the Bison in the center after starting all 37 games last season while scoring 60 goals and drawing 65 ejections. Hyham was named a CWPA Second Team Selection last season for her efforts.
"Kali is our big presence in the middle, she's a real nuisance for other teams in there, and I expect a lot out of her this season."
Bucknell returns a plethora of experience from last season's team, including nine players who started 12 games or more, and five of Bucknell's seven starters from the win over 11-9 win over No. 16 Harvard on the final day of the CWPA Tournament. Nina Benson, who McBride said is a great outside shooter and has developed into a solid all-around player, returns after breaking Bucknell's single-season sprint percentage record last season. Additionally, Benson added 34 goals and 27 assists last year, and McBride added that the senior is one of their best defenders on the perimeter.
"Most of our players are utility-style players," said McBride. "They can play offense and defend, and I think they're excited to prove that they are as good as or better than last year's team. We bring back a lot of veterans, but we're still a young team overall."
"We'll hope that experience will help us to a quicker start, but our season starts in April," McBride continued. "We have two and a half months to get things right, and hopefully we'll be firing on all cylinders during the CWPA games."
On the outside, McBride says Benson, Gigi Rojahn, and Paige Furano will each make a bigger impact this year. All three have proven capable of contributing to the scoring when necessary. Benson scored three goals and added three assists against Harvard in the CWPA Tournament, while P. Furano tied the school record for goals in a game with seven against the Crimson on March 31. Rojahn added eight goals and 18 assists during her junior season, and has proven to be a reliable and consistent contributor throughout her career.
"Those three have all paid their dues," said McBride. "They went through struggles as younger athletes, but they have developed into leaders in the pool. We all speak the same language. I have to say very little."
"Gigi is a very smart player, and she plays on the pool that requires the most intelligence," McBride added. "Paige is a workhorse and a buzz saw who doesn't stop. She plays 32 minutes a game, and all three of them will play a tremendous amount of minutes."
In goal, Georgia Lewis returns to the cage after a successful freshman season that saw her earn CWPA Rookie of the Week honors three times while making 239 saves, the eighth-most by a Bison player in a single season in program history. Hayley Pogue also returns for her senior season as a goalkeeper to bring added experience at the position.
"Last year was a little bit of a deer in the headlights feeling for Georgia, but she's figuring things out," said McBride. "She was a big reason why we had all of the success that we did. She is motivated to be better, and understands the important role she has. She's the hardest working player on the team by far, and really has worked to improve her craft. We expect her sophomore year to be better, and she's ready for any challenge."
Larissa Hodzic will look to have an increased role in the center after playing in 28 games last season with three starts, while McBride also added that freshman Anna Bautista could look to see some time in that spot early on. Marcela Herrera also returns after starting 31 games last season and scoring 14 goals and adding 20 assists.
Bucknell also brings in eight new freshmen for the 2020 season in Bautista, Abbie Coscia, Chloe Smith, Bella Moynihan, Sheila Tomlin, Megan LaCroix, Celia Foster, and Sam Gove.
The team reached new heights in placing third at the CWPA Tournament, its highest-ever finish. The Bison eventually fell to a strong Princeton squad in the semifinals, but McBride says consistency is the key to look to stay among the top teams in the conference.
"We have to consistently beat teams that we have been beating as a starting point," said McBride. "Anything is possible on any given day. Michigan and Princeton are two very well-coached teams with great athletes, and we'll be motivated to compete against not just those two, but everyone in the conference."
The schedule presents a challenging slate for the Bison, both in the pool and logistically. Bucknell will have just four games in Kinney Natatorium during the 2020 season, with three of those coming the second weekend of February at the annual Bucknell Invite on Feb. 7-9.
The Bison won't return to Lewisburg for a game until a March 21 matchup against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Senior Night. Bucknell will play games in six different states this season, including a trip to California from Thursday, March 12-Saturday, March 14 for four games.
"We're on the road a lot," said McBride. "It's difficult to not have the league games at home, but that type of adversity will make us tougher, and we look at it as a challenge, not as a hindrance. If we have to play the game in Siberia, we'll play the game in Siberia. It doesn't matter, we'll be there and we'll be ready to go."
Players Mentioned
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
A
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
A
/ Women's Water Polo
A
/ Women's Water Polo
A
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
A
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
CD
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
A
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
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