KENOSHA, Wis. — Michelle Danley (So., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) scored nine times by finding the back of the cage in each quarter as Grove City College took down host Carthage College, 17-9, in the 2021 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championship Third Place game at the Firebirds’ HARIBO Pool in the Koenitzer Aquatic Center.
Danley keyed the Wolverines’ offense throughout the contest by netting three goals in both the first and third quarters to accompany a pair in the second and a solo strike in the fourth quarter.
A three-time CWPA Division III Champion (2010, 2011, 2012), Grove City has now finished first, second (2013), third (2021), fourth (2015), fifth (2014, 2016, 2019) and sixth (2017, 2018) in the history of the event.
In the second meeting of the year between the Wolverines and Firebirds – following a 13-11 win by Grove City at home in the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool on March 27 – Grove City and Carthage slugged out a back-and-forth opening four minutes of competition in the first quarter.
Grove City – which never trailed in the contest – jumped on the scoreboard first as Reese Trauger (So., Perkasie, Pa./Pennidge) lined home a frozen rope at the 6:07 mark to stake the Wolverines to a 1-0 lead. The margin lasted for 17 seconds as a penalty call against Alliefair Scalise (Sr., Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) allowed Taylor Woitesek (Fr., Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook) to fire in a fire-meter penalty shot (5:50) to square the squads at one-all.
Danley posted her inaugural strike of the game at 5:17 to return the lead to Grove City at 2-1, but Arianna Dakuras (Sr., Chicago, Ill./Oak Park-Fenwick) delivered a response 63 seconds later at 4:14 to again knot the teams.
The goal proved o be the turning point in the game as the Grove City offense awoke to post the next seven goals to permit the Wolverines to carry a 10-3 lead into halftime.
Even with Carthage at two-all, the Wolverines bared their claws as Elaine Miller (Jr. Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) found the back of the cage at the 3:15 and 18 seconds marks to sandwich back-to-back strikes by Danley at 2:49 and one minute to provide Grove City a 6-2 margin exiting the first quarter.
The run continued in the second quarter as Danley struck again at 5:17 prior to Scalise (3:52) and Miller (3:06) adding insurance markers to make it a 9-2 game.
Carthage finally snapped Grove City’s 7-0 outburst as Woitesek put away an even-strength chance at 1:36 to inch the Firebirds back to within six at 9-3. However, Danley capped off a five-goal first half scoring spree by beating the halftime buzzer to provide Grove City a 10-3 lead at intermission.
Following the break, the Wolverines went back to work as Sophia Melanson (Jr. Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) tickled the twine at 6:16 of the third quarter to build the lead to eight at 11-3.
The teams traded scoring blows throughout the remainder of the third quarter as Victoria Hodges (Fr., Oxford, Mich./Lake Orion) moved Carthage to within 11-4 (6:01) and Danley pushed the margin back to eight at 12-4 (5:00).
The Firebirds attempted to climb back into the contest as Dakuras (4:20, 2:41) and Kayli Sayatovic (Jr, Berwyn, Ill./River Forest-Trinity) (3:50) combined for back-to-back-to-back goals to inch Carthage within five at 12-7.
However, Danley dealt with the comeback in short order by connecting on scoring shots at 2:25, 1:36 and 48 seconds to enlarge the lead back to eight at 15-7 with the third quarter clock winding down.
Dakuras managed to close the gap to seven scores prior to the end of the frame as she tossed in an answer with 34 ticks on the clock to make it 15-8 after 24 minutes of action.
Following three minutes of scoreless water polo to start the fourth quarter Hodges broke the ice at 5:03 to shrink the gap further to 15-9.
Although leading by six with five minutes to play, the Wolverines did not back off as Danley deposited her ninth goal of the contest at 4:07 to make it 16-9 prior to Miller closing out the game with nine seconds left for the 17-9 finale.
For Grove City, Danley (nine) and Miller (five) combined for 14 of the Wolverines’ goals. Scalise, Trauger and Melanson each chipped in solo tallies as the team concludes the season with a 4-6 record.
Carthage received four goals from Dakuras, pairs by Hodges and Woitesek and a single tally by Sayatovic as the Firebirds conclude an 0-10 COVID-19 impacted season.
Historically, Carthage has now placed second (2010), third (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), fourth (2013, 2019, 2021) and fifth (2011, 2012) at the CWPA Division III Championship.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Grove City College |
6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | – | 17 |
| Carthage College | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | – | 9 |
| Carthage Goals: | Arianna Dakuras (4); Victoria Hodges (2); Taylor Woitesek (2); Kayli Sayatovic | |||||
| Grove City Goals: | Michelle Danley (9); Elaine Miller (5); Alliefair Scalise; Reese Trauger; Sophia Melanson | |||||
| Saves: | Carthage – Statistic not kept ; Grove City – Tia Kannel (3) |
|||||
| Exclusions: | Carthage – 4 ; Grove City – 4 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Carthage – 1-for-4 ; Grove City – 1-for-4 | |||||
| Sprints: | Carthage – 2-for-4 (1st, 4th) ; Grove City – 2-for-4 (2nd, 3rd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Andy Mattson, Nick Cargola | |||||
