NEW LONDON, Conn. — Co-Players of the Game Pooja Bucklin (Fr., Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) and Alana Nadolski (So., Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) both scored five times to equal the offensive output of Washington & Jefferson College as the Division III No. 7-ranked Scots of Maclaester College withstood a challenge from the Presidents to take a 14-10 victory in the 2024 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championship Third Place game.
Competing at Connecticut College’s Jane Cadwell Lott ’36 Natatorium, Macalester (14-5, 7-1 CWPA Division III) earns its second consecutive Third Place finish at the CWPA Division III Championship as the team previously took home first (2017, 2018, 2019), third (2023), fourth (2011, 2013, 2014, 2022), fifth (2012, 2015), sixth (2010) and seventh (2016) place marks.
Washington & Jefferson (7-12, 4-4 CWPA Division III) earns its third Fourth Place finish after previously finishing second (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), third (2013), fourth (2010, 2018),10th (2019) and sixth (2022, 2023) along with not appearing at the 2021 championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Scots never trailed and gained a stranglehold on the contest in the first five and a half minutes of competition as Bucklin (7:21 3:57), Nadolski (6:33, 3:30, 2:36) combined for a five-goal outburst. Hallie Ratcliff (Fr., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) snapped the run with 1:41 left in the first quarter by denting the twine for the Presidents to make it a 5-1 game.
Sydney Neumann (Jr., Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) chipped another goal off W&J’s deficit at the 6:09 mark of the second quarter, but Nadolski delivered her fourth tally of the afternoon by converting a six-on-five bid at 5:17 to return the spread to four at 6-2.
Emma Halle (Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), Ratcliff and Laura Anthony (Jr., Erie, Pa./VIlla Maria Academy) shaved the difference down to 6-5 with consecutive goals at 4:34, 3:48 and 1:44, respectively, prior to Kendall Coney (Jr., League City, Texas/Clear Creek) returning some insurance to the Scots by hooking in a shot with 49 seconds on the clock for a 7-5 margin entering halftime.
Bucklin further insulated the margin with 5:27 to play in the third quarter by completing a hat-trick to make it 8-5. The Presidents returned fire, however, as Neumann (3:12, man-up) and Anastacia Didovich (Jr., Venice, Fla./Fla.) (2:30) inched W&J back to within one at 8-7.
Both teams found the back twine once more in the third quarter as Olivia Dimka (Jr., Denton, Texas/John H. Guyer) and Halle fired in shots with 1:40 and 53 seconds remaining, respectively, to set the scoreboard at 9-8 entering the final eight minutes of regulation.
The game, however, turned in favor of Macalester in the dawning moments of the fourth quarter as Bucklin and Nadolski rained in shots at 6:28 and 5:23, respectively, to inflate the Scots’ lead to 11-8.
Neumann answered for W&J at 4:09 with a man-up marker, but Jess Palmer-Sammons (So., Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) launched in a counterstrike at 3:21 to return the gap to three at 12-9.
Neumann responded once more at 2:33 to again move Washington & Jefferson within a pair at 12-10, but Lorelei Bell (So., Encinitas, Calif./San DIeguito Academy) and Bucklin wrapped up the game with back-to-back scores at 1:36 and 1:07, respectively.
For W&J, Neumann (four), Ratcliff (two) and Halle (two) each posted a multi-goal game, while Anthony and Didovich chipped in solo scores. Sky Wald (Jr., Granada Hills, Calif./John F. Kennedy) stopped six shots in taking the loss.
Bucklin (five) and Nadolski (five) accounted for over half of the Scots’ offense with Coney, Bell, Dimka and Palmer-Sammons adding single goals. In cage, Laurel O’Hare (Sr., Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) turned aside four shots and Jayden Kratt (So., Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) completed the game.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Washington & Jefferson College |
1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | 10 |
| Division III No. 7 Macalester College | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | – | 14 |
| Macalester Goals: | Pooja Bucklin (5); Alana Nadolski (5); Kendall Coney; Lorelei Bell; Olivia Dimka; Jess Palmer-Sammons | |||||
| W&J Goals: | Sydney Neumann (4); Hallie Ratcliff (2); Emma Halle (2); Laura Anthony; Anastacia Didovich | |||||
| Saves: | Macalester – Laurel O’Hare (4, 24 minutes); Jayden Kratt (0, 8 minutes); W&J – Sky Wald (6) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Macalester – 7 ; W&J – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Macalester – 2-for-8; W&J – 3-for-7 | |||||
| Sprints: | Macalester – 4-for-4 ; W&J – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – W&J (Bench, 3:23 left in 4th Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Michael Francis, Alex High | |||||
Washington & Jefferson College’s Emma Halle (#6) lines up a shot as Macalester College’s Jess Palmer-Sammons (#12) closes in
Macalester College’s Olivia Dimka (#9) looks to shoot as Washington & Jefferson College’s Sky Wald (#1) and Anastacia Didovich (#10) pursue
Washington & Jefferson College’s Hallie Ratcliff (#14) & Macalester College’s Jess Palmer-Sammons (#12)
Macalester College’s Pooja Bucklin (#16)
2024 CWPA Division III Championship Third Place – Macalester College
