Women's Water Polo | April 25, 2021
VILLANOVA, Pa. – #23 Women's water polo wrapped up its regular season with a 14-11 win over city rivals Villanova on Sunday, sweeping the Wildcats in 2021.
With the win, the Explorers book their spot in the semifinals of the MAAC Championship for the first time in program history. La Salle (6-2 in MAAC) is second in the Blue Division behind LIU (7-0). In the Red Division, the top two teams are Marist (6-2) and VMI (3-6).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- La Salle began on the front foot, outscoring Villanova 4-2 in the first frame. The Wildcats fought back in the second and flipped the result, tying the game at 6-6 heading into halftime.
- In the third La Salle jumped out ahead again, and again it was by a 4-2 margin. Instead of allowing the home team a way back into the game in the fourth, the Explorers outscored Villanova 4-3 to earn the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Four Explorers finished with multi-goal games. Senior Sarah DeFusco led all scorers with five goals, followed by classmate Madison Martinez with a hattrick. Junior Madelyn Koerper and sophomore Casey Malone each tallied a brace.
- Koerper was tied as the team's top provider with three assists, along with senior Karle Linden, who also scored a goal.
- Linden had herself an all-around solid game, adding three steals and three blocks to her line.
- Martinez also impressed on defense, pacing the Explorers in steals with four and exclusions earned with three.
- Sophomore Emma Gurasich had a stellar outing in net, amassing 14 saves on 25 shots, in addition to two assists and a steal.
UP NEXT
- La Salle's opponent and game time will be revealed in the leadup to next weekend's match. What is for certain is that the Explorers will be competing for a spot in the finals on Saturday.
