Women's Water Polo | March 26, 2021

PHILADELPHIA – #24 Women's water polo looks to keep the winning ways going as it enter conference play on Saturday. The Explorers will travel to VMI for a 10 a.m. match, which will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
ABOUT THE EXPLORERS

• La Salle is coming off a 2-0 weekend with wins over McKendree and Gannon. The team also defeated Villanova in an exhibition match that did not count to the record.
• Sophomore Shanna Zuanich tallied eight goals over the past two games, including a career-high five against the Bearcats.
• Senior Sarah DeFusco impressed across the board with 13 points and seven steals. She leads the team on the season with 21 goals and is tied for the team lead in points with 33.
• Her classmate, Madison Martinez, is the other Explorer on 33 points. La Salle's number nine has been remarkably efficient shooting with a tally of 20 goals on only 29 shots.
• Junior Madelyn Koerper is the third prong in the leading-scorer triumvirate with 20 goals and nine assists this campaign. She also paces the team with 13 exclusions earned.
• The team's assist leader isn't Martinez with 13 or DeFusco with 12—those two are second and third respectively. Sophomore Sophie Appler is the top provider so far with 15 helpers to go along with 10 goals. 
• Appler has also done a job on defense as well with nine steals and eight blocks. Her steals are third on the team behind senior Karle Linden (13) and DeFusco (11), and her blocks are second behind only Linden (10).
• Linden has been the Explorers' leader on defense, while chipping in on the offensive side with eight goals and 11 assists. In the win over Gannon, she recorded an all-around game of three goals, three assists, four steals and two blocks.
• Rookie watch: Freshman Hannah Woren has played a prominent role in her debut year, leading the rookies in most categories. Her line so far: five goals, seven assists and seven steals. She has committed only one error all year, and not a single foul.
• In net, sophomore Caitlin Valentine received the majority of the reps in the 2-0 weekend. She tallied 15 saves on 29 shots for a .517 save percentage, adding three assists and a steal.

SCOUTING THE KEYDETS

• VMI is 3-5 this season, having lost their previous three games—twice to Salem and once to Gannon.
• The Explorer did not get the chance to play the Keydets last season, but have yet to defeat them (0-7 all-time). Their last away match in 2019 was notably close: a 14-13 loss in which DeFusco tallied six goals and two assists.
• VMI boasts its own offensive trident of Catherine Ahumada, Sydney Shettleroe and Genevieve Petrassi. Ahumada paces the team in points with 38 (18 goals, 20 assists), Shettleroe is the leading scorer with 25 goals, and Petrassi is the top provider with 25 assists.
• The Keydets' fourth-most productive offensive player this season is the other Ahumada sibling, Rachel. VMI's number 17 has tallied 12 goals and eight assists, to go along with a team-leading 16 steals.
• In net, Ellie Pickford has seen the majority of the time (212 of 300 minutes). She has recorded 28 saves on 122 shots for a .230 save percentage and a 14.19 goals against average.