BERKELEY, Calif. — No. 7 seed/No. 10-nationally ranked Princeton University fell to No. 2 seed/No. 2 the University of Hawaii, 11-6, in the quarterfinals of the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship hosted at the University of California’s Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Meera Burghardt got the scoring started by converting a six-on-five opportunity 33 seconds into the game. However, Hawaii outscored the Tigers 3-0 over the remainder of the first quarter and pushed out to a 5-1 lead with 3:29 left in the second quarter.
Kayla Yelensky got the Tigers within three by punching in her team’s second man-up tally with 2:55 left in the first half, but Hawaii scored twice more in the final 82 seconds of the second quarter to acquire a 7-2 lead at the break.
Following another Rainbow Wahine strike to expand the margin to 8-2, Yelensky lined in a five-meter penalty shot with 5:19 on the third quarter clock to move the Tigers back to within five at 8-3.
Hawaii responded with three scores over the remaining time in the frame to construct an 11-3 margin heading into the fourth quarter.
Both teams struggled to find the cage until Olivia Krotts snapped the scoring drought by bounding a ball into the twine with 2:13 left in regulation for a natural goal. Kaila Carroll completed Princeton’s scoring by putting away shots with 1:33 and 36 seconds remaining for the 11-6 final score.
Carroll and Yelensky both posted pairs of goals, while Burghardt and Krotts accounted for solo markers as Princeton shot six-for-23 in the game. Ava Houlahan (two), Rachael Carver and goalkeeper Lindsey Lucas combined for four assists.
Lucas took the loss with five saves.
For Hawaii, Jordan Wedderburn (three), Bernadette Doyle (two) Alba Bonamusa Boix (two), Lot Stertefeld, Roni Perlman, Bia Mantellato Dias and Agatha Weston combined for 11 goals as the team shot 11-for-22 from the field. Emma Gurasic (one save, three goals allowed) and Daisy Logtens (three goals allowed, seven saves) split time in cage for the Rainbow Wahine.
Princeton’s season ends at 23-7 with 12 victories over ranked opponents. The Tigers won their sixth Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) title in program history while also doing it in back-to-back years for the second time ever. It’s also the third time that the men and women have won conference championships in the same academic year (2011-12, 2022-23, 2023-24).
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
