CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Brown University women’s water polo team defeated No. 24-ranked Marist College, 11-9, and fell to Salem University, 13-12, in its first day of competition at the Harvard University Invitational at Blodgett Pool.
The Bears have now won 10 of their first 12 contests to open the season following a victory over the nationally ranked Red Foxes in game two after dropping a one-goal decision to the Tigers in game one.
“I was disappointed with our overall effort in our first game, and Salem took advantage of it, but it was nice to have this team bounce back and get the win over a talented Marist team,” said Brown head coach Felix Mercado. “We will get some rest and be ready for tomorrow.”
Freshman Katie Dvonch (Seal Beach, Calif.) scored six goals on the day, including five goals against Salem. Freshman Linnea Kelly (Newport Beach, Calif.) netted five goals between the two games, including a hat trick against Marist. Senior goalkeeper Lauren Burns (Long Grove, Ill.) made nine saves against the Red Foxes.
Facing Salem, Dvonch scored five goals, including three tallies in the game’s final 3:30, but the Bears fell 13-12.
Brown – playing for the first time since February 22 – held a 7-6 lead in the third quarter before the Tigers used a 6-1 run to move ahead 12-8 with 5:16 to go in the fourth frame and held on for the win despite a 4-1 run from the Bears to close the game.
Dvonch led the Brown offense with her five goals and an assist, while junior Kaitlyn Cook (Los Gatos, Calif.) and freshman Claire Pisani (Redwood City, Calif.) each netted two goals.
Junior Carissa Perez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) totaled five points on a goal and four assists, sophomore Dagmara Czajka (San Diego, Calif.) notched a goal and two steals, and freshman Kelly scored a goal.
Senior Lexi Atwell (La Jolla, Calif.) added two assists and two steals, and freshman Bryn Gioffredi (Laguna Beach, Calif.) tacked on two assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Marley Presiado (Newport Beach, Calif.) made three saves with a steal.
The Bears opened the game with a 3-1 lead at the end of the first quarter behind goals from Pisani, Czajka and Cook.
After the Tigers tied the score at 3-3, a goal from Dvonch pushed Brown back ahead 4-3. A pair of goals returned a 5-4 edge to Salem before markers from Perez and Pisani to end the first half pushed Brown back ahead at 6-5.
Dvonch’s second goal of the game staked the Bears to a 7-6 advantage with 5:32 to go in the third quarter before the Tigers netted the stanza’s final four goals to move ahead 10-7 heading to the fourth quarter.
A goal from Cook to open the fourth cut the margin to 10-8 prior to consecutive goals from Salem that made the deficit 12-8 with 5:16 to play. Despite a goal from Kelly, the Tigers remained ahead 13-9 with 4:06 remaining. Dvonch reeled off three straight goals – at the 3:30, 2:45, and 0:16 marks – but Salem held off the late rally.
Against Marist, Kelly and Pisani each scored hat tricks as Brown topped the nationally-ranked Red Foxes, 11-9.
Leading 6-5 late in the second quarter, the Bears scored the final goal of the first half and netted the only three goals of the third quarter, moving ahead 10-5 en route to the win.
Kelly and Pisani each netted three goals, while Cook, Czajka, Katie Klein (Lafayette, Calif.), Dvonch and Zoe King (Almaden, Calif.) each scored once.
King, Atwell, Lily Weiser (Long Beach, Calif.) and Gioffredi each distributed two assists. Dvonch added two steals and an assist, and Czajka chipped in two steals.
In the cage, senior goalkeeper Lauren Burns (Long Grove, Ill.) blocked nine shots.
After Marist opened the game with a 2-1 lead despite a goal from Cook, the Bears used a 4-0 run to pull ahead 5-2 in the second quarter. Brown scored the final three goals of the first quarter behind markers from Kelly, Klein, and Pisani to move ahead 4-2 prior to a goal from Czajka to start the second stanza.
Despite a goal from Kelly, the Red Foxes used a 3-1 spurt to trim their deficit to 6-5. A goal from King with 35 seconds left in the second quarter staked Brown to a 7-5 advantage at halftime.
The Bears scored all three of the third quarter’s goals behind markers from Kelly, Dvonch and Pisani, capping a 4-0 run and taking a 10-5 lead into the fourth quarter.
A goal from Pisani kept the margin at 11-6 with 5:06 to go. After Marist pulled within 11-8 with 3:17 left, Brown made multiple defensive stops before the Red Foxes notched a late goal with three seconds remaining.
Release courtesy Brown University Athletics Communications
