Women's Water Polo | January 31, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – Women's water polo begins its 2020 campaign on Saturday with the La Salle Invite, hosting matchups with George Washington and St. Francis (exhibition), followed by the Terriers again and Salem on Sunday. The Explorers are coming off of their most prolific season to date with 10 wins and five conference victories.
 
ABOUT THE EXPLORERS

• La Salle returns all its key players from a season ago, on top of important additions. Junior Sarah DeFusco is expected to power the offense after being named Second Team All-Conference in 2019. She netted 92 goals in 33 games, chipping in 33 assists for 125 points.
• Junior Jillian DeLisle paced the team in assists with 71, adding 22 goals. Her 93 points was second on the team, followed by classmate Madison Martinez on 85.
• Defensively, La Salle's top shot-blocker Karle Linden is back (36), along with sophomore Madelyn Koerper who paced the team exclusions earned (49). The pair also combined to score 70 goals and assists 60.
• The Blue & Gold boasts an important freshman class. Local rookies Sophie Appler and Sofia Curtis look to be notable offensive presences, while Casey Malone aims to compliment Koerper and Linden at the center/center defender positions. Shanna Zuanich and Kamea Kim will help at the utility position, while Caitlin Valentine and Emma Gurasich will contribute in net.
• As a team, the Explorers recorded 288 goals on a 35% shooting percentage and averaged 7.2 exclusions earned a game.

 SCOUTING THE COLONIALS

• George Washington went 6-15 last season and 1-5 in conference play.
• The Colonials struggled on the road, going 1-5.
• They do return junior Alana Ponce and sophomore Juliette Belanger who were first and second on the team in goals, combining for 88 strikes. Jaleh Moaddelli, third in goals (32), second in points (60) and first in assists (28) and steals (49), is no longer on the team.
• George Washington's first-choice goalkeeper, Samantha Runyon who tallied 119 saves, also isn't on the team.
• Game time: Saturday, 9 a.m.

SCOUTING THE TERRIERS

• St. Francis finished with a 7-21 record and 4-10 in the MAAC in 2019.
• La Salle record two wins over the Terriers last season, dropping one contest. 
• Leading goalscorer Kelsey Snelgar, who tallied 121 goals and named to First Team All-Conference, graduated.
• Nicole Herrick, the team's assists leader, also is no longer on the team. Sophomore Tate Renata, who was third on the team in points (42), does return for the Terriers.
• St. Francis brings in an influx of freshmen; of the 13 players on the roster, five are rookies.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• Salem's inaugural year resulted in a 14-14 record, with a 4-2 mark on the road.
• The Tigers return sophomores Margherita Garibbo and Annefleur ten Bloemendal who both managed the 100-point threshold in 2019. Bloemendal paced the team in goals (71), while Garibbo was a close second with (69) and led the team in assists (38).
• Sophomore Philippa Piper is back between the sticks, having saved 317 shots last season.