GRESHAM, Ore. — Player of the Game Claire Beno (Fr., Perkasie, Pa.) scored three times as Mid-Atlantic Division Champion/No. 8-ranked Pennsylvania State University turned back North Atlantic Division Championship runner-up Wellesley College, 13-1, to earn a spot in the 2018 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship Ninth Place game.
Competing at Mt. Hood Community College, the Nittany Lions will take on Northwest Division Championship runner-up/No. 19 the University of Oregon at 2:15 p.m. Pacific/5:15 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, May 6, in the tournament’s Ninth Place game. In the history of the PSU program, the squad has previously placed seventh (2015), Eighth (2011), 10th (2001) and 11th (2005, 2017) as the Nittany Lions are guaranteed to record their fourth Top 10 finish regardless of the outcome in the placement game.
PSU never trailed against Wellesley as the Nittany Lions raced out to a 7-0 by the conclusion of the first quarter prior to notching two, three and one goal in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, to hold a 13-0 lead with 1:27 left to play in regulation.
Wellesley broke up PSU’s shutout attempt within the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter as Claire Whitaker (Jr., Annapolis, Md.) beat Penn State goalie Sofia Viebranz (So., Erie, Pa.) with 27 ticks left on the clock for the 13-1 final score.
Beno, Sarah Anderson (Jr., Naperville, Ill.) and Emily Argentati (Jr., Reading, Pa.) led the way for PSU with hat-tricks, while Claire Washabaugh (Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) tacked on a pair of markers. Ashley Southwick (So., Reading, Pa.) and Michaela Pagano (Jr., Souderton, Pa.) accounted for the remainder of their team’s offense as the duo each notched solo strikes.
Viebranz took the win for Penn State with four saves, while Rachel Utomo (Jr., Jakarta, Indonesia) turned away eight shots in taking the loss for The Blue.
The defeat drops Wellesley into the 11th Place game at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, May 6, as the squad will battle New York Division Champion Cornell University in the 30th and final game of the 16-team, 30-contest tournament.
Wellesley is already guaranteed to post the program’s best-ever finish at the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship following previous 15th place finishes in both of their prior trips to collegiate club water polo’s grandest stage.
In 2012 at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., The Blue tied with the University of Oregon for the 15th spot by falling to the University of Michigan (12-4 L), the University of Notre Dame (15-5 L) and Cornell University (10-8 L). Four years later at the University of California-Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, Calif., the Blue dropped games to the University of California-Davis (21-1 L), the University of Virginia (12-6 L) and the University of Texas (9-6 L) to tie with the host Banana Slugs in the final standings.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Wellesley College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 |
| No. 8 Pennsylvania State University | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 13 |
| Penn State Goals: | Claire Beno (3); Emily Argentati (3); Sarah Anderson (3); Claire Washabaugh (2); Ashley Southwick; Michaela Pagano | |||||
| Wellesley Goals: | Claire Whitaker | |||||
| Saves: | Penn State – Sofia Viebranz (4) ; Wellesley – Rachel Utomo (8) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Penn State – 3 ; Wellesley – 1 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Penn State – 1-for-1; Wellesley – 0-for-3 | |||||
| Sprints: | Penn State – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) ; Wellesley – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Julie Snyder, Simone Le Pay | |||||
Pennsylvania State University’s Abby Washabaugh (#6) defends Wellesley College’s Jordan Street (#11)
Wellesley College goalie Rachel Utomo (#1) makes a save against Pennsylvania State University’s Emily Argentati (#8)
Pennsylvania State University’s Leah Perkins (#10)
Pennsylvania State University’s Brooke Rothenberger (#22) attempts to elude Wellesley College’s Jordan Street (#11)
