Women's Water Polo | February 7, 2020
LEWISBURG, Pa. – A dominant second half helped women's water polo get back to winning ways on Friday, defeating George Washington 11-4 to begin the Bucknell Invite. Junior
Madison Martinez paced the team with five goals and two assists, while freshman
Caitlin Valentine tallied seven saves on 11 shots faced.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The teams traded goals twice to lock at 2-2 early in the first quarter. The Colonials went up with a score, which would prove to be their only lead of the game. The Explorers equalized in the dying embers of the frame.
- La Salle tightened up defensively in the second quarter, not allowing George Washington to score. A pair of goals put La Salle up 5-3 heading into the break.
- The Blue & Gold extended its advantage to three out of the half. The Colonials countered but Martinez had an answer, scoring twice within the final two minutes to put the Explorers in command.
- A clean sweep of the final frame, with La Salle outscoring its opposition 3-0, put the result beyond doubt.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Catching Her Stride: Martinez's goal tally tonight is a season high so far, outscoring her previous three games combined (four goals).
- Junior Sarah DeFusco and freshman Sophie Appler were the other Explorers with multi-goal games, recording two each. DeFusco also led the team in steals with five.
- Senior Katelynn Kubo and junior Jillian DeLisle also got on the scoresheet against the Colonials. Kubo finished second on the team in steals with three, also adding an assist.
- For the fourth straight game, DeLisle was the team's top provider. She dished out five assists.
- In addition to Appler's brace and Valentine's shot stopping, rookie Casey Malone also made her presence felt on the defensive end. She led the Explorers with two blocks.
UP NEXT
- Three more games remain in the Bison Invite: Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday and Mercyhurst and LIU on Sunday.
