Bucknell Women's Water Polo Has 2-0 Day at Bruno Classic

Saturday, February 4

Providence, R.I.

9 A.M.

Bucknell University

Austin College

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Bucknell Women's Water Polo Has 2-0 Day at Bruno Classic

2/4/2023 5:08:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Bucknell University women's water polo team picked up its first two wins of the season on Saturday afternoon on day one of the Bruno Classic hosted by Brown University. Bucknell topped Austin College 10-5 before taking an exciting 11-10 win over Santa Clara in the second game of the day.

Bucknell improves to 2-5 (0-0 CWPA) on the season.

Game One: Bucknell 10, Austin College 5
Bucknell outscored the Kangaroos 6-1 first half of play to cruise to a 10-5 win over Austin College in the first game of the day.

Isabelle Monaghan netted Bucknell's opening goal at the 6:53 mark of the first period, before the Kangaroos tied the game at one on a goal from Cory McGrath at the 3:32 mark. Bucknell found a response just 30 seconds later from senior Chloe Smith, before fellow senior Megan LaCroix closed the quarter with a goal at the 2:44 mark to give Bucknell a 3-1 lead.

Another goal from LaCroix as well goals from first-years Bella Schraa and Aliyah Cohen helped give Bucknell a commanding 6-1 lead at the break. The goal for Cohen was the first of her career.

The Bison extended that lead to 7-1 in the opening minutes of the third on a goal by first-year Gwen Kallmeyer at the 6:53 mark, capping off a 6-0 run that spanned nearly 14 minutes.

The Kangaroos managed to get within four at the end of the third, but insurance goals from Schraa and senior Bella Moynihan helped Bucknell secure its first victory of the season.

LaCroix led the way for the Bison offensively, scoring three times in the win. Schraa added multiple goals for the first time in her young career. The five goals allowed by the Bison were the lowest by the program since a 7-4 win over Mount St. Mary's on April 3, 2022.

Bucknell Goals: LaCroix (3), Schraa (2), Kallmeyer, Cohen, Moynihan, Monaghan, Smith

Game Two: Bucknell 11, Santa Clara 10

Bucknell won its second straight game over the Broncos in exciting fashion, scoring the eventual game-winning goal at the 3:43 mark of the fourth quarter by Monaghan. Monaghan's goal gave Bucknell an 11-8 lead, and the Bison held off a late charge by the Broncos to take an 11-10 win.

Santa Clara held a narrow 3-2 lead in the early minutes of the second, but two goals from Izzy Lippolis and Gwen Kallmeyer just over a minute apart in the second quarter helped Bucknell capture a 4-3 lead. Monaghan was on hand to add a goal at the 4:55 mark of the second to extend the Bucknell lead before a goal from the Broncos with 1:20 to go made the score 5-4 Bucknell at the halftime horn.

The two teams started the third quarter in a flurry, combining for seven goals in the period. Schraa's goal just 15 seconds into the third quarter helped Bucknell take a 6-4 advantage early on, but the Broncos clawed back with two unanswered goals to tie the game at six just minutes later.

Monaghan scored her second goal to give Bucknell the lead for good with 3:28 to go in the third. That goal helped the Bison end the period on a 3-1 run, as goals from LaCroix and Boati Motau helped Bucknell end the period with a 9-7 advantage.

Bucknell extended that run with a goal from Moynihan with 5:47 remaining. Monaghan added her third goal, her second hat trick of the season, at the 3:43 mark of the fourth quarter for Bucknell's eventual game-winning goal. Monaghan took a nice pass from Smith near the center before skpping a low shot as Bucknell capitalized on the power-play opportunity. Santa Clara pulled to within one with 1:58 remaining, but the Bison defense managed to hold out the rest of the way in securing a 2-0 day.

Bucknell Goals: Monaghan (3), Motau (2), Moynihan (2), Kallmeyer, Schraa, LaCroix, Lippolis

Bucknell returns to action on Sunday at the Bruno Classic for two games against ranked opponents Wagner and Marist.