Women's Water Polo: Bucknell proves too tough to stop in Southerns final

The women’s water polo team did not have enough in the end against Bucknell. After the Tigers defeated Maryland in the Collegiate Water Polo Association semifinals on Saturday, the Bison beat Princeton 11-9 in DeNunzio Pool on Sunday to claim the Southern CWPA Division Championship.

The Bison (15-9 overall, 5-1 CWPA Southern Division) overpowered the Tigers (17-9, 5-1) offensively throughout the game on Sunday afternoon, while Bucknell goalie Alison Carter impersonated a wall defensively. Princeton fell behind early, trailing Bucknell 6-1 two minutes into the second quarter. Head coach Luis Nicolao called a key timeout to halt the Bison’s momentum. The decision proved to be a good one, as Princeton scored three unanswered goals heading into halftime to cut Bucknell’s lead down to two.

Princeton managed to get the first goal of the second half to pull to within one, but Bucknell retaliated with two more goals. Every time Princeton tried to get even with Bucknell, a different Bison would come up with a huge goal. With four minutes to go in the game, Bucknell opened up a four-goal lead, and the game seemed over. But the Tigers were not having it. Freshman driver Saranna Soroka fought off several Bucknell players to get off a backhand goal. A counterattack goal from freshman driver Brittany Zwirner and a man-advantage goal by senior driver and tri-captain Carolina Ardila brought the Tigers to within one.

Bucknell utility Kandis Canonica took the game into her own hands, wrestling with the ball for 10 seconds before putting the Bison up by two once more with two minutes to go in the game.

On the following possession, Carter jumped out of the goal to steal a Princeton pass, and the Bison scored once again on the following offensive possession to seal the victory.

The key statistic for the game was man-advantage conversions. Princeton had nine opportunities, including two 5-meter penalty shots. It only managed to score on three possessions and missed both 5-meter chances. Bucknell, on the other hand, converted eight of its 14 chances.

Zwirner led the Tigers with three goals, while senior driver and tri-captain Helen Meigs recorded one goal and two assists.

The championship game was Senior Day for the Tigers, and all three tri-captain seniors — Meigs, Ardila and driver Phoebe Champion — scored in front of their families and friends.

Princeton reached the final by outlasting Maryland on Saturday evening, 7-6. The Terrapins (14-17, 2-4) fought the Tigers down to the last second, but sophomore goalie Kristen Ward, who had 14 saves on the weekend, helped the Tigers survive the potential upset. Zwirner, Meigs and Soroka each had two goals in the game, and Champion scored the other goal.

The Tigers will play in the CWPA Eastern Championships next weekend at Maryland. Princeton will not find out who it will play in the first round until tomorrow afternoon, but it will likely be Bucknell again.

“This loss was really tough,” Meigs said. “We really wanted to get a year on the banner and put ourselves in a better position to win next weekend. We still have the potential to do great things next weekend, but we have some work to do this week to get ourselves there.”