Saint Francis University Stops Bucknell University in Overtime, 8-6, to Claim 2022 Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Championship Fifth Place Game

Bucknell University-vs.-Saint Francis University Scoresheet (2022 Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Championship – Game #8)

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Player of the Game Kimberly Frostad (Fr., Regina, Sask./Dr. Martin LeBoldus) and Emese Szucs (So., Budapest, Hungary) scored with 1:23 and 33 seconds left in the second overtime period as Saint Francis University found a way to overcome host Bucknell University by an 8-6 count in the Fifth Place game of the 2022 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division I Championship at Kinney Natatorium.

SFU (11-20, 2-10 CWPA Division I) finishes in Fifth Place in the final seven-team championship standings following prior third (2021), sixth (2019), eighth (2017) and  ninth (2018) place marks.  The placement is statistically the best all-time finish by the Red Flash as the event as the 2021 championship was limited to four teams by COVID-19.

Further, Saint Francis wins the season series against the Bison (10-17, 3-9 CWPA Division I) as the Red Flash split the regular season league meetings by falling 11-9 on February 12 at Princeton University and avenging the defeat with an 11-8 victory at the University of Michigan on March 5.

Trailing 5-3 entering the fourth quarter, Saint Francis found lightning in a bottle during the fourth quarter as Abbie Carter (Jr., Abbotsford, B.C./St. Joh Brebeuf) and Addison Williams (Jr., Clovis, Calif./Sanger) struck down the Bison’s victory hopes with markers at the 6:00 and 2:41 marks, respectively, to square the teams at five-all.

Bucknell had a chance to terminate the contest at the conclusion of regulation as a long range shot by the Bison tipped off two Saint Francis field blockers in front and was descending under the crossbar before Taylor Halbauer (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta/Mother Margaret Mary) played heroine to finger-tip save the ball as time expired.

Neither team was able to score during much of the first overtime period until Frostad fired in a shot to give Saint Francis the team’s first lead of the game at 6-5 with nine seconds on the clock.

Isabelle Moynihan (So., Lawrenceville, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) posted an equalizer with 2:34 remaining in the second OT frame, but Frostad and Szucs delivered the deciding factors down the stretch to allow the Red Flash to burn the Bison and escape Lewisburg with an 8-6 win.

Bucknell appeared primed to run away with the contest in the early going as Chloe Smith (Jr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) (4:41) and Boati Motau (Fr., Johannesburg, South Africa/Roedean School South Africa) (2:06, man-up) pumped in back-to-back tallies to open the first quarter and stake the Bison to a 2-0 margin.

Halbauer cut into the margin at 1:47 to move the Red Flash to within 2-1, but Smith responded with 28 seconds left in the frame to push Bucknell ahead 3-1 after eight minutes.

The lead grew to 4-1 at the 1:49 mark of the second quarter as Smith curled a shot into the twine, but Halbauer delivered an answer 12 seconds later at 1:37 to trim the Bison’s lead to 4-2 entering halftime.

The team’s traded scoring blows in the third quarter as Smith completed a hat-trick at the 4:21 mark and Szucs spun a ball into the cage at 3:57 to set the stage for the fourth quarter and overtime.

For Bucknell, Smith scored a game-high four goals with Motau and Moynihan each chipping in solo markers as the Bison have now placed second (2021), third (2019), fourth (2006), fifth (2010, 2016, 2018), sixth (2008, 2014, 2017, 2022), seventh (2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015), eighth (2003, 2012), ninth (2000) and 11th (2002) in the many versions of the CWPA/Eastern Championship since 1999.

Halbauer, Szucs and Frostad each deposited pairs for the Red Flash with Williams and Carter tacking on solo grails.