Women's Water Polo | April 28, 2023

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The La Salle women's water polo team pulled ahead of the LIU early in the contest never allowing the Sharks to get closer than tying it until a fourth-quarter surge to hand the Explorers the 9-6 loss in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Championships.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The teams remained scoreless until the 3:30 mark in the first period with the Sharks breaking the drought for a 1-0 lead. A minute later Madelyn Koerper fired a rocket right out front of the net to tie the game, 1-1. Sophie Appler followed it up with a goal of her own to put La Salle in a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.
• LIU opened up the scoring in the second frame with a goal just about 40 seconds in to tie things back up again, 2-2. Appler was there for La Salle to answer the call to put LIU back in the chase with a 3-1 lead. The Sharks tied it up two more times in the frame with La Salle answering back both times thanks to the offensive efforts of Koerper and Francesca Co' to give La Salle the 5-4 lead at the half.
• Both teams' defensive efforts in the third frame kept either team from getting on the board until a five-meter attempt at the 2:56 mark from LIU found its way passed Emma Gurasich to tie the game once again, 5-5, with one period left to play.
• The fourth quarter was all LIU putting up four unanswered goals to take a 9-5 lead over the Explorers down to the final seconds. With 0:06 left on the clock La Salle found themselves on the attack with an initial shot saved and the rebound punched in quickly by Casey Malone to cut the final margin of loss to three, 9-6.