NEW LONDON, Conn. — Brenna Carstens (So., Coronado, Calif./Coronado) connected on four shots to notch Player of the Game recognition as Carthage College exploited 4-2 scoring runs in the first and third quarters to overcome Penn State Behrend, 11-7, in the first game on the second day of the 2024 CWPA Division III Championship hosted by Connecticut College at the Jane Cadwell Lott ’36 Natatorium.
Courtesy the win, Carthage (5-13, 3-5 CWPA Division III) punches the program’s ticket to the Fifth Place game at 10:30 a.m. Eastern/7:30 a.m. Pacific on Sunday, April 21, against the victor of a game matching Grove City College versus either host Connecticut or Wheaton College.
The runner-up at the inaugural CWPA Division III Championship in 2010, the Firebirds are guaranteed to post the team’s best finish at the CWPA Division III Championship since 2021 as the team previously placed second (2010), third (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), fourth (2013, 2019, 2021), fifth (2011, 2012), seventh (2022) and eighth (2023).
Penn State Behrend (4-17, 3-5 CWPA Division III) will return to the water at 4:00 p.m. Eastern/1:00 p.m. Pacific later today against the fallen from the Connecticut-Wheaton game. A victory puts the Lions into the Seventh Place game at 9:00 a.m. Eastern/6:00 a.m. Pacific on Sunday, April 21, while a loss concludes the season for the team with a Ninth Place mark in the nine-team championship field.
Historically, Penn State Behrend has previously garnered fourth (2016), fifth (2018), seventh (2013, 2015, 2017), eighth (2010, 2014, 2019, 2022) and ninth (2011, 2012, 2023) place marks at the CWPA Division III Championship.
Carthage fell behind early against the Lions as Olivia Wright (Sr., Fairview, Pa./Fairview) broke the ice with 6:33 left in the first quarter to stake Penn State Behrend to a 1-0 margin. The lead lasted until the 4:26 mark as Carstens canned a man-up strike before putting the Firebirds in front to stay with a natural tally at 3:15. She added some insulation to push Carthage’s margin to 3-1 at 2:11 by completing a hat-trick via another man-up goal prior to Susie Carrillo (So., Fresno, Calif./Clovis North Educational Center) terminating the run by cashing in a power-play chance for the Lions at 1:17. Grace Steinberg (So., Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) returned Carthage’s lead to a pair at 4-2 prior to the conclusion of the first quarter by swishing the fourth man-up marker of the opening eight minutes.
The second quarter saw limited offensive action as another man-up score by Carstens with 4:35 on the clock provided the Firebirds a 5-2 margin heading into halftime.
Yamila Areizaga (So., Chicago, Ill./Lincoln Park) made it a four-goal game at 6-2 by drilling home a natural goal with 5:23 to play in the third quarter. Darragh Martin (So., Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) answered for the Lions at 4:47 with the game’s sixth advantage conversion, but Areizaga (3:20) and Alyssa Sayatovic (Sr., Berwyn, Ill./Fenwick) (1:27; 20 seconds, man-up) responded to expand the gap to 9-3.
Makenzie Rickerd (Fr, Rockford, Mich./Rockford) chipped the Lions’ deficit back to five at 9-4 with eight seconds remaining in the third quarter, but Sayatovic completed a hat-trick with her third goal 18 seconds into the fourth quarter via a five-meter penalty shot to set the scoreboard at 10-4.
Nic Darrell (Jr., Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) (6:25) and Martin (5:18, man-up) cashed in on back-to-back opportunities to inch Penn State Behrend to within four at 10-6. However, the Lions were unable to roar back as Faith Harris (So., Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) slipped in Carthage’s 11th goal with 1:53 remaining for some insurance. Martin capped off the scoring with 1:25 remaining on the clock with the contest’s 10th advantage score for the 11-7 final.
Martin led the way for the Lions with three goals, while Carrillo, Wright, Rickerd and Darrell deposited solo tallies in support of a nine save effort from goalkeeper Monica Villasenor (Fr., San Gabriel, Calif./La Salle).
Carstens (four), Sayatovic (three) and Areizaga (two) combined for nine of Carthage’s 11 goals. Harris and Steinberg both chipped in single scores to aid netminder Ella Selman (So., Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) who turned aside 15 shots.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Carthage College |
4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | – | 11 |
| Penn State Behrend | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | – | 7 |
| Penn State Behrend Goals: | Darragh Martin (3); Susie Carrillo; Olivia Wright; Makenzie Rickerd; Nic Darrell | |||||
| Carthage Goals: | Brenna Carstens (4); Alyssa Sayatovic (3); Yamila Areizaga (2); Faith Harris; Grace Steinberg | |||||
| Saves: | Penn State Behrend – Monica Villasenor (9) ; Carthage – Ella Selman (15) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Penn State Behrend – 9 ; Carthage – 12 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Penn State Behrend – 4-for-12 ; Carthage – 6-for-9 | |||||
| Sprints: | Penn State Behrend – 1-for-4 (2nd) ; Carthage – 3-for-4 (1st, 3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Michael Francis, Martin Murray | |||||
Penn State Behrend’s Susie Carrillo (#16) eyes an opening as Carthage College’s Brenna Carstens (#9) defends
Carthage College’s Alyssa Sayatovic (#2) lines up a shot as Penn State Behrend’s Calla Williams (#5) closes in
Penn State Behrend’s Marley Persch (#18) knocks the ball away from Carthage College’s Faith Harris (#5)
