Women's Water Polo | March 14, 2021

PHILADELPHIA – Women's water polo split its pair of Sunday contests, falling to Salem in the morning game before defeating Mount St. Mary's in the afternoon. The weekend marks a continuation of sorts for the Explorers: with three wins over the past two days, they equal the program record that they set on the final weekend of last season.
 
Salem 19, La Salle 11
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Tigers started the quicker of the two sides with a pair of goals. The teams exchanged a few scores to make it 4-2, then Salem went on a 3-0 run with two minutes remaining to open up its lead.
• The second quarter commenced and another strike from the Tigers extended their lead to five. Senior Sarah DeFusco brought one back, but two more from Salem put the score at 10-3. DeFusco and sophomore Shanna Zuanich chipped away at the deficit, followed by some back-and-forth scoring as the Explorers trailed 12-7 at the half.
• Junior Madelyn Koerper kickstarted the third period with a score, followed by two Salem goals. Koerper again found the back of the net with four minutes left, after which neither team would score, and the Blue & Gold remained behind by five entering the final frame.
• DeFusco narrowed the deficit to start the fourth, but only briefly. The Tigers fought for three more goals and a commanding 17-10 advantage. Senior Madison Martinez struck with two minutes to go, at which point the lead was insurmountable.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• La Salle's number eight led the scoring charge with four goals, followed by Koerper with three and sophomore Sophia Appler with two.
• Koerper and DeFusco tied for the team lead in exclusions earned with three apiece.
• Martinez turned provider for most of the day, assisting on three goals in addition to scoring once. Zuanich, similarly, dished out two assists and scored once.
• In net, sophomore Caitlin Valentine recorded six saves on 18 shots, providing two assists. Classmate Emma Gurasich finished with four saves on 11 shots, one assist and two steals.

 
La Salle 18, Mount St. Mary's 8
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Explorers began on the front foot and dominated the opening two quarters. They outscored the Mountaineers 4-1 in the first quarter, followed by a barrage of goals in the second in which they put eight into the opposing cage. Following the strong offensive start, La Salle went into the intermission with a 12—4 lead.
• The game was all but settled at the half as the pair of teams split the third quarter with three goals each. The Blue & Gold then outscored the Mountaineers 3-1 down the stretch to claim a ten-goal victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Spreading the wealth: A total of ten Explorers got on the scoresheet in this match, including first collegiate goals for freshmen Ali Wagner and Jaycee Morris.
• Wagner finished with a brace and an assist. Her goal tally was matched by fellow rookie Hannah Woren, who also recorded two steals.
• The Explorers also received multi-goal games from DeFusco and Koerper, each with a hattrick, and senior Karle Linden and junior Charley Stricker on the double.
• Sophomore Casey Malone had an impressive all-around afternoon with a goal, three assists, two steals and a block.
• Koerper edged out Malone and DeFusco for most points in the game. She added two assists to her three goals, throwing in a block for good measure. DeFusco provided one assist, swiped two steals and drew one kickout.
• Freshmen Adrienn Horvath and Mia Mattingly picked up their first collegiate point as each tallied an assist. Junior Kendra Schlitzer also provided for one goal.
• In net, Valentine finished with seven saves on 11 shots, while Gurasich had five saves on nine shots. Each goalkeeper accounted for one assist.

UP NEXT

• La Salle travels to Villanova on Saturday for an exhibition match, followed by neutral site games in Morgantown, W.V. against McKendree and Gannon the next day.