George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Saint Francis (PA)
Women's Water Polo Splits at CWPA Championship
4/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
LEWISBURG, Pa. - George Washington women's water polo closed Saturday at the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship with a 12-6 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium.
Freshman Alana Ponce recorded three goals to power the Colonials, who advanced to face Harvard in the seventh-place game on Sunday morning.Earlier in the day, GW (14-15) fell to Brown, 9-3, in a consolation semifinal.
No. 6 GW 12, No. 9 Saint Francis (Pa.) 6: The Colonials scored three goals in each period en route to a comfortable victory over the Red Flash.
GW netted the first four goals, extending its advantage to 4-0 on Maggie Ball's goal 70 seconds into the second period. The Colonials led 6-2 at halftime and 9-4 after three quarters. Jaleh Moaddeli's score with 4:47 remaining gave them their largest lead of the contest at 12-5.
Ponce, who was named to the All-CWPA Second Team on Thursday, paced the offense and enters Sunday's finale with a team-high 64 goals on the season. GW spread around the rest of the scoring against the Red Flash with Moaddeli, Jacqueline Bywater and Erin McGeoy netting two goals apiece. Ally Jochim, Scarlett Hallahan and Ball also recorded goals in the victory.
Bywater paced the defensive effort with four steals, while Samantha Runyon made eight saves in net.
No. 7 Brown 9, No. 6 GW 3: The Bears turned in a lockdown defensive effort in the opener, holding the Colonials to one goal over the first three-plus quarters.
GW tied it at 1 on Ponce's goal two minutes into the game and then didn't score again until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. Brown scored eight straight goals in that time to put the game out of reach.
Katherine Atherton tallied the first goal of her career with Ponce and Emma Shaffer providing the other scores for the Buff and Blue.
UP NEXT: GW faces No. 8 Harvard to close the CWPA Championship on Sunday at 9 a.m. with the winner taking seventh place. The Crimson fell to No. 5 seed Bucknell, 10-5, in Sunday's other consolation semifinal.
No. 6 GW 12, No. 9 Saint Francis (Pa.) 6
GW--3-3-3-3--12
Saint Francis (Pa.)--0-2-2-2--6
GW Goals: Ponce 3, Moaddeli 2, Bywater 2, McGeoy 2, Jochim 1, Hallahan 1, Ball 1.
GW Assists: Bywater 2, Johnson 1, Heck 1, Jochim 1, Hathaway 1, Moaddeli 1.
GW Steals: Bywater 4, Jochim 1, Hallahan 1, Ball 1, Ponce 1, Heck 1, McGeoy 1, Hathaway 1, Bruno 1, Moaddeli 1.
GW Ejections Drawn: Jochim 4, Ponce 1, Johnson 1, Moaddeli 1.
GW Saves: Runyon 8.
No. 7 Brown 9, No. 6 GW 3
GW--1-0-0-2--3
Brown--4-2-1-2--9
GW Goals: Ponce 1, Atherton 1, Shaffer 1.
GW Assists: Belliveau 1, Hallahan 1, Hathaway 1.
GW Steals: Ball 3, Heck 2, Moaddeli 2, Ponce 1, Bywater 1, Hathaway 1.
GW Ejections Drawn: Jochim 3, Moaddeli 2, Johnson 2, Ponce 1, Atherton 1, Heck 1, Hathaway 1.
GW Field Blocks: Ponce 1, Ball 1, Moaddeli 1.
GW Saves: Runyon 4.
