This past Saturday and Sunday, the women’s water polo team was able to host the Division III Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship Tournament at the Hallman Aquatics Center. The team took on opponents from all over the northeast, winning two total matches at the tournament to round out the season at an 8-11 clip.

 

On Saturday, the Lions faced off against Connecticut College and suffered a five-goal defeat against the Camels, their second loss to the Camels this year. Connecticut College got out to a fast start, amassing a six-goal lead midway through the second period. Two goals from Maryn Horn and a goal from Lauren Wood cut the deficit to 7-3 by halftime. Yet, the Lions could not overcome the stellar Camel defense in the second half, losing by a score of 10-5. The Camels would be the eventual runner up in the tournament, losing in the finals to Macalester in overtime.

 

In the second game of the day against the two-seeded Monmouth Fighting Scots, the Lions rebounded to get the slim 9-8 win. Jojo Gager netted one of her five goals just past a minute into the game to get the Lions on the board first. With the game tied at two going into the second period, the game turned into a stalemate, as each team responded to each others’ surges with a surge of their own. The game was then sealed by the Lions after Horn and Gager netted a combined three goals late in the fourth. Goalie Holly Rae Hanson showed up to play in this game, as she stopped 16 of the 24 shots she faced in the match.

 

Sunday saw the third game of the tournament, this one between the Lions and the Grove City Wolverines. The Lions were able to round out the campaign with a 10-5 victory and claim fifth place in the tournament. In addition, this win set the single season mark for the most wins in the program’s history. This match was hardly ever in any doubt, as the likes of Horn, Devon Von Rensburg, and Alison McClure helped Behrend get out to a six-goal halftime lead. Hanson shut down the Wolverines for most of the game, making 15 saves on 20 shots and gaining an assist in the process. Gager and Rensburg added two goals in the second half to seal the win and conclude one of the premier season’s in Behrend women’s water polo history.

 

Even though it will be tough to say goodbye to Horn, the Lions will hopefully return to prominence next season, especially with the multitude of talent coming back. The team is eager to pick up where they left off this season and hopefully obtain their first ever winning season.