NEW LONDON, Conn. — Connecticut College split against Penn State Behrend and Monmouth College at home in Jane Cadwell Lott Natatorium during a Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III weekend by rising above the Lions, 10-5, and spiraling against the Fighting Scots, 8-7.
Facing Penn State Behrend in the early game, Shannon Cry (Jr., Monterey, Calif./Monterey), Ginny McCool (Fr., Gulf Stream, Fla./St. Andrew’s) and April Anderson (Jr., Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais) were thorns in the Lions’ paws by pumping in pairs of goals. Ashley Fitch (So., Deerfield, Mass./Williston Northampton), Kaitlin Reagan (Fr., Saratoga, Calif./St. Francis), Sophia Soriano (Jr., Summerland, Calif./Cate School) and Brianna Harrity (Sr., Jeffersonville, Pa./Germantown Academy) each chipped in single scores as the Camels outscored Penn State Behrend 2-1, 4-2 and 2-0 in the second, third and fourth quarters to overcome a 2-2 tie at the conclusion of the first quarter.
For the Lions, Lauren Wood (So., Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) and Maryn Horn (Jr., Houston, Texas/Jersey Village) each swished a pair of shots with Brittany Pinter (Sr., Erie, Pa./McDowell) ripping in a solo blast.
Against Monmouth, Connecticut had no answer for Becca Dabrowski (So., McHenry, Ill./West) who buried five scoring jabs as the Fighting Scots won on points by one in downing the Camels by an 8-7 count.
Monmouth put the Camels on the ropes in the early going as Dabrowski (5:29) and Esther Hubbard (Fr., Sandy, Ore./Sandy Union) (4:44) punched in even-strength chances to make it 2-0 in favor of the Scots. Anderson converted a man-up bid at 2:12 to cut Connecticut’s deficit to 2-1, but Melissa Barrios (Jr., Oak Forest, Ill./Trinity Park) delivered with 49 seconds remainig on the quarter clock to rebuild the lead to a pair at 3-1.
Anderson closed the gap back to one at 3-2 with 4:34 to go in the first half, but Brenna Bowers (Jr., New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) and Dabrowski responded at 3:17 and 2:42 to pry the margin to 5-2.
However, Connecticut refused to go away as Harrity and McCool canned back-to-back chances at 1:44 and 1:07, respectively, to move the Camels within striking distance at 5-4 going into halftime.
Anderson finished out a hat-trick at the 4:51 mark of the third quarter to draw her squad even at five-all, but Dabrowski racked up a go ahead goal with 3:12 on the clock to move Monmouth back in front at 6-5 to begin the fourth quarter.
The game would turn on having the last solid chance with the ball as Harrity erased the deficit at 4:11 (6-6), Dabrowski struck again at 2:24 to put it back in place (7-6) and Soriano deadlocked the squads once again at 1:13 (7-7) to raise the possibility of overtime.
But, Dabrowski would once again prove to be the Camels’ undoing as she accepted a pass and rifled in the decider with 38 ticks remaining in regulation for the 8-7 final score.
Besides Dabrowski, the Fighting Scots received single goals from Bowers, Barrios and Hubbard with goalie Natalie Curtis (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) earning the victory between the pipes.
Anderson accounted for nearly half of Connecticut’s offense with three goals. Harrity dropped in a pair with Soriano and McCool collecting single strikes in support of goalie Sarah Sovia (Sr., Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School).
