PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Sofia Holman (Fr., La Jolla, Calif./The Bishop’s School) and Claire Poissonnier (Sr., Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) both posted hat-tricks with three goals to share Player of the Game laurels as No. 20-ranked/host Brown University fettered Saint Francis University, 12-7, to claim Fifth Place at the 2025 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship in the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.
Brown (18-14, 7-5 CWPA) claims Fifth Place due to going 2-0 in a round-robin series with Saint Francis and Mercyhurst University (17-3 W), while SFU (14-18, 2-10 CWPA) takes Sixth Place courtesy a 1-1 mark with a 16-11 sinking of the Lakers.
Overall, Brown has now finished first (2001), second (2003), third (2024), fourth (2004, 2009, 2012, 2022), fifth (2000, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2025), sixth (2002, 2010, 2018), seventh (2005, 2016, 2017) and ninth (2011) at the CWPA Championship. Saint Francis has claimed third (2021), fourth (2023), fifth (2022, 2024), sixth (2019, 2025), eighth (2017) and ninth (2018) place during the varsity tenure of the institution.
Holman inflicted the majority of her damage in the first 3:30 of the game as the first-year fired in back-to-back strikes at 6:58 and 4:47 to stake the Bears to a 2-0 margin. Sofia Maioriello (Fr., Naples, Italy/Liceo Statale Salvatore Pizzi) and Caylah Olay (Jr., Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Beach) erased the Red Flash’s deficit by connecting on natural (3:41) and man-up (2:48) strikes, respectively, prior to Brown’s Hanna Tidrenczel (So., Budapest, Hungary/Korosi Csoma Sandor Bilingual Baptist) returning the Bears to the lead by converting a six-on-five opportunity with three ticks on the clock.
Megan Marlin (So., Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus) evened the damage at three-all by tossing in a tally with 5:51 remaining in the second quarter prior to Georgia Ellison (So., Canberra, Australia/St. John Paul II College) putting SFU ahead for the first and only time in the game with 48 seconds until halftime via a five-meter penalty shot. However, Claire Poissonnier squared the squads at four-all prior to halftime as she slipped in a shot with four seconds left in the second quarter.
Claire Poissonnier struck again 67 seconds into the third quarter by swishing a power-play bid at 6:53, but Sam Eschleman (So., Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) delivered a counter-strike (4:16) to once again tie the contest at five-all.
The back-and-forth between the teams occurred one more time as Samantha Kim (Fr., Orange, Calif./Orange Lutheran) (3:59) and Kayla Rhoads (Sr., Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) (2:02) exchanged markers to set the score at six-all prior to Gaby Montalvo (So., Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) fluttering in another go-ahead score for a 7-6 Brown lead with 1:43 to play in the third quarter.
Montalvo’s score ignited a four-score surge by the Bears who received ensuing successful heaves by Claire Poissonnier (5:43), Madeleine Poissonnier (Jr., Tustin, Calif./Foothill) (5:12) and Holman (4:50) to push ahead 10-6.
Breeze Ohlson (Fr., South Jordan, Utah/Herriman) attempted to put a jolt into the Red Flash’s offense by burying a five-meter penalty shot at the 3:42 mark to move Saint Francis within three at 10-7.
Brown defended its den, however, as Aubrie Anderson (So., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona Del Mar) (3:26) and Katharine Knowles (Sr., Fullerton, Calif./Troy) (1:09) pawed shots past SFU netminder Isabel Lumley (Sr., Brisbane, Australia/Brisbane Girls Grammar School) for the final blows to claim a 12-7 victory.
For the Red Flash, seven different players found the back of the cage as Ohlson, Rhoads, Marlin, Ellison, Eschleman, Olay and Maioriello posted points. Lumley concluded the contest with six saves.
Claire Poissonnier (three) and Holman (three) led the way for the Bears, while Anderson, Tidrenczel, Montalvo, Kim and Madeleine Poissonnier chipped in solo markers. Roxanne Hazuka (Jr., La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla) garnered the win in cage with 11 saves over the duration of the game.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Saint Francis University (14-18, 2-10 CWPA) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 7 |
| No. 20 Brown University (18-14, 7-5 CWPA) | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | – | 12 |
| Brown Goals: | Claire Poissonnier (3); Sofia Holman (3); Katherine Knowles; Aubrie Anderson; Hanna Tidrenczel; Gaby Montalvo; Samantha Kim; Madeleine Poissonnier | |||||
| SFU Goals: | Breeze Ohlson; Kayla Rhoads; Megan Marlin; Georgia Ellison; Sam Eschleman; Caylah Olay; Sofia Maioriello | |||||
| Saves: | Brown – Roxanne Hazuka (11) ; SFU – Isabel Lumley (6) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Brown – 11 ; SFU – 6 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Brown – 2-for-6 ; SFU – 3-for-11 | |||||
| Sprints: | Brown – 3-for-4 (1st, 3rd, 4th) ; SFU – 1-for-4 (2nd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | Brown – YC (Head coach Felix Mercado, 5:36 left in 3rd Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Joe Peila, Easton Honaker | |||||
Brown University’s Sofia Holman (#22) defends Saint Francis University’s Breeze Ohlson (#2)
Saint Francis University goalkeeper Isabel Lumley (#1) attempts to make a save as teammate Adi Garges (#7) tries for a field block
Saint Francis University’s Sam Eschleman (#11) charges Brown University’s Samantha Kim (#21)
Saint Francis University’s Georgia Ellison (#10) attempts to stymie Brown University’s Claire Poissonnier (#5)
