Women's Water Polo | April 10, 2022

Box Score PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The La Salle women's water polo team took an early lead that the Villanova Wildcats would tie five different times, but never overcome falling to the Explorers 12-9 Sunday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• La Salle struck early to get on the board with a Madelyn Koerper goal followed up by a Shanna Zuanich steal and breakaway goal for a 2-0 lead with 4:21 remaining in the first period. The Wildcats answered for the first time at the 3:05 mark to cut the deficit to one, 2-1, but Franceca Co' found the back of the net before the end of the stanza to give the Explorers back their two-point cushion, 3-1.
• Villanova scored first to bring it back to a one-point gap, 3-2. Koerper drew the five-meter to place Co' out front of the net to increase the Explorers' lead back to two, 4-2. A 2-0 run for the Wildcats tied it up with 1:42 left in the period, 4-4. La Salle held the 2-1 advantage through the rest of the frame thanks to Kalista Hyham to take a 6-5 lead into the second half.
• The Wildcats owned the third quarter with a 2-1 edge to tie the game twice finishing the stanza in a 7-7 standoff with La Salle.
• The teams traded goals to remain knotted, 8-8, but a Hyham goal under pressure started a 3-0 run to give the Explorers their largest lead of the game, 11-8. The squads traded goals once more with La Salle walking away with the 12-9 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Hyham and Co' were dominant on offense scoring five goals apiece to combine for 10 of the Explorers' 12 goals.
• Zuanich and Koerper each added a goal to the scoring effort.
• Karle Linden led the team in assists alongside goalie Emma Gurasich with two each.
• Hyham recorded a team-high four steal in the game while Koerper drew the most exclusions with four.
• Gurasich made nine saves and added two steals.

UP NEXT:

• La Salle and Villanova will come face to face again this Friday, Apr. 15 at 5 p.m. at the Villanova Swim Complex.