NEW LONDON, Conn. — Darragh Martin (So., Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), Susie Carrillo (So., Fresno, Calif./Clovis North Educational Center) and Olivia Wright (Sr., Fairview, Pa./Fairview) each scored twice to share Player of the Game status as Penn State Behrend never trailed in topping Grove City College, 11-8, in the Seventh Place game of the 2024 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA Division III Championship hosted by Connecticut College at Lott Natatorium.
Penn State Behrend (6-17, 3-5 CWPA Division III) adds another Seventh Place finish to the team’s legacy as the program previously finished fourth (2016), fifth (2018), seventh (2013, 2015, 2017), eighth (2010, 2014, 2019, 2022) and ninth (2011, 2012, 2023) at the CWPA Division III Championship.
Grove City (4-16, 1-7 CWPA Division III) garners Eighth Place in the nine team field as the Wolverines have now finished first (2010, 2011, 2012), second (2013), third (2021), fourth (2015), fifth (2014, 2016, 2019, 2022), sixth (2017, 2018), seventh (2023) and eighth (2024) in the history of the championship tournament.
Martin struck first in the game by burying a shot with 5:29 left in the first quarter to stake the Lions to a 1-0 margin. Grove City answered as Shastyn Tihansky (Fr., Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) beat PSB netminder Monica Villasenor (Fr., San Gabriel, Calif./La Salle) at the 4:13 mark to even the damage at one-all.
However, Carrillo connected for a tally with 1:34 on the clock to place Penn State Behrend in front to stay at 2-1.
Carrillo (6:46) and Martin (5:47) padded the margin to 4-1 with back-to-back man-up strikes prior to Riley McCullough (Jr., Spring, Texas/Oak Ridge) answering with a natural marker at the 2:45 mark of the second quarter to move the Wolverines back to within a pair at 4-2. Wright wronged the Lions in the closing minutes of the first half by slipping in a shot with 1:53 to go until intermission for a 5-2 PSB advantage on the scoreboard.
The teams traded goals for the majority of the third quarter as Tihansky (6:27, 4:20) punched in a pair for Grove City, while Calia Williams (Fr., Longwood, Fla./Lyman) (5:24) and Nic Darrell (Jr., Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) (3:04) kept pace for Penn State Behrend prior to Makenzie Rickerd (Fr., Rockford, Mich./Rockford) tossing in the Lions’ eight tally for an 8-4 lead after 24 minutes of action.
Marley Persch (Jr., Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) pushed the spread to 9-5 with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Kamryn Kerr (Jr., East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) flushed man-up (3:59) and even-strength (3:26) chances within 33 seconds to start a Grove City comeback bid and move the Wolverines within three at 9-6.
Lauren True (Fr., Denton, Texas/Guyer) set Penn State Behrend free at 2:37 by breaking loose to bury a ball into the twine and return a four-goal lead to the Lions at 10-6.
Kiley Sill (So., Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) chipped a goal off Grove City’s deficit at 2:17, but a comeback was not to be as Wright (54 seconds, man-up) and Tihansky (36 seconds) exchanged scoring strikes in the final minute to allow the Lions to return back to Erie with an 11-8 victory.
For Grove City, Tihansky led the way with four goals. Kerr tacked on a pair to accompany solo markers from Sill and McCullough in support of a six save effort by goalkeeper Lea Steen (So., Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg).
Across the tank, Martin, Carrillo and Wright were joined in the scoring column by True, Rickerd, Williams, Darrell and Persch. Villasenor stopped seven shots to earn the win in cage.
| 1st |
2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Grove City College |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | – | 8 |
| Penn State Behrend | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 11 |
| Penn State Behrend Goals: | Darragh Martin (2); Susie Carrillo (2); Olivia Wright (2); Lauren True; Makenzie Rickerd; Calla Williams; Nic Darrell; Marley Persch | |||||
| Grove City Goals: | Shastyn Tihansky (4); Kamryn Kerr (2); Kiley Sill; Riley McCullough | |||||
| Saves: | Penn State Behrend – Monica Villasenor (7) ; Grove City – Lea Steen (6) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Penn State Behrend – 7 ; Grove City – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Penn State Behrend – 3-for-7; Grove City – 1-for-7 | |||||
| Sprints: | Penn State Behrend – 1-for-4 (2nd) ; Grove City – 3-for-4 (1st, 3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Michael Francis, Alex High | |||||
Grove City College’s Clarie Lochstet (#15) attempts a pass in front of Penn Sate Behrend’s Dylan Scherping (#3) & Grove City’s Kamryn Kerr (#2)
Grove City College’s Shastyn Tihansky (#17) shoots over Penn State Behrend’s Marley Persch (#18)
Grove City College’s Kiley Sill (#6) defends Penn State Behrend’s Olivia Wright (#11)
Penn State Behrend’s Susie Carrillo (#16) & Grove City College’s Carolyn Marks (#7)
