Women's Water Polo | February 22, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – The Explorers dropped their first home game of the season 19-5 to nationally-ranked Princeton on Friday night. La Salle are now 0-3 against Ivy League competition this season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• La Salle perhaps surprised fourteenth-ranked Princeton by jumping out to a fast 1-0 lead. Sophomore Sarah DeFusco struck less than thirty seconds into the game.
• The Tigers then flexed their muscle by netting five unanswered goals to end the first quarter.
• The two teams traded blows for most of the second. DeFusco began the back-and-forth, followed by a goal from Princeton's Nicole Kresich. Freshman Madelyn Koerper answered back near the midway mark of the quarter before Kresich parried again. The third Explorer to get on the board was sophomore Karle Linden before Kresich stretch the margin to four. Another Princeton score gave the Ivy League team a 9-4 lead heading into the half.
• In the third quarter, Princeton displayed exactly why they're among the nation's best. They barraged La Salle's net for seven goals while conceding none of their own, effectively putting the game to bed. In the fourth, the Explorers got one back via DeFusco but the Tigers proved too powerful on the day.

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• DeFusco led the Explorers with three goals on six shots. Linden and Koerper were the other scorers in the game.
• Junior Stephanie Morales and sophomore Jillian Delisle were the top providers with two assists each, while sophomore Madison Martinez also tallied one.
• Linden was the defensive force for the Explorers with a team-high two steals, adding an exclusion earned. Delisle, Martinez, and junior Ann Cho drew the most kickouts with two each.
• In net, junior Jenny Fermaintt tallied eight saves on 17 shots for a save percentage of 47.1%.

 UP NEXT

• La Salle join in for a day at the Red Fox Invitational on Saturday. The action begins at 1:30 p.m. against Mercyhurst before they face MAAC rivals Saint Francis Brooklyn at 6 p.m.