LEWISBURG, Pa. — Sophomore Carissa Perez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) and freshman Katie Klein (Lafayette, Calif.) each scored two goals to pace 10 Brown University scorers as the Bears defeated Saint Francis University, 12-3, at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
In their final Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) game of the regular season, the Bears took an 8-1 lead at halftime and gained an edge as large as 11-1 in the third quarter on their way to the win over the Red Flash.
After its final regular season game against Marist College on Saturday, April 20, No. 5 seed Brown will meet No. 4 seed Harvard University in the first round of the CWPA Championship on Friday, April 26 at 4:00 p.m. The Bears are hosting the championship at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center from Friday-Sunday, April 26-28.
“Today was a good way for us to finish a 2-1 weekend and a 3-1 week,” said Brown head coach Felix Mercado. “We’re looking forward to celebrating our seniors on Saturday and then hosting our conference championship the next weekend.”
Perez finished the game with two goals, an assist, and two ejections drawn, while Klein totaled two goals and an assist. Freshman Lili Akin (Santa Barbara, Calif.) tallied a goal, three assists, two steals and two ejections drawn.
Junior Lexi Atwell (La Jolla, Calif.) compiled a goal, two assists, and two steals, senior Allison Woo (Arcadia, Calif.) notched a goal, an assist, and two steals, and sophomore Kaitlyn Cook (Los Gatos, Calif.) contributed three assists and two steals. Sophomore Lily Keck (La Jolla, Calif.) added a goal and two steals.
Seniors McKenna Miller (Danville, Calif.) and Carmen Rosas (Schaumburg, Ill.) and sophomores Riley Hughes (Evanston, Ill.) and Alli Schaum (San Rafael, Calif.) each netted one goal.
In the cage, freshman goalkeeper Marley Presiado (Newport Beach, Calif.) made six saves and three steals.
Brown opened the game with a 2-0 lead behind goals from Rosas and Klein before St. Francis pulled within 2-1 with 3:12 left in the first quarter. The Bears scored the contest’s next nine goals, moving ahead 11-1 in the third quarter.
Keck and Atwell started the run with the final two goals of the first frame, giving Brown a 4-1 edge at the end of one. The Bears outscored the Red Flash 4-0 in the second stanza with two goals from Perez and one tally apiece from Hughes and Akin, providing Brown with an 8-1 lead at halftime.
The Bears netted the first three goals of the third quarter as Woo, Miller, and Klein gave Brown an 11-1 advantage. St. Francis posted the last goals of the period, making the score 11-3 heading to the fourth quarter. Schaum notched the only marker of the final frame.
Release courtesy Brown University Athletics Communications
