LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Shannon Connolly scored six goals to earn Player of the Game status as Texas Division Champion/No. 5-ranked Texas A&M University managed Northwest Division Champion/No. 13 the University of Washington, 9-6, in the 2023 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship fifth place game at the University of California’s Spieker Aquatics Center.
The 2023 event marks the Aggies’ 11th appearance at the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship tournament following berths in 2001 (eighth), 2005 (12th), 2008 (15th), 2010 (13th), 2013 (12th), 2014 (12th), 2015 (15th), 2017 (Ninth), 2018 (13th) and 2022 (sixth) as the team adds an all-time best fifth place mark to its record.
Texas A&M never trailed in the game as Emily Traynor (6:02) and Aubrey Mai (4:32, man-up) staked the Aggies to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter prior to Cathleen Nguyen (3:00) putting the Huskies on the scoreboard. Connolly (2:47) and Nguyen (2:31) exchanged scoring shots prior to Connolly capping off the first seven minutes of action with a five-meter penalty shot (30 seconds) to allow Texas A&M to exit the frame with a 4-2 lead.
Mai (6:02) and Connolly (5:16) added to the margin in the dawning moments of the second quarter before Abigail Sylvester (2:39) answered for Washington to shrink the Aggies’ lead down to 6-3 heading into halftime.
The remainder of the game was a point-counterpoint affair with the teams trading tallies as Connolly (6:15, man-up) and Sylvester (59 seconds, man-up) exchanged goals in the third quarter before Connolly struck again with 32 seconds on the clock to permit A&M to gain an 8-4 margin by the start of the fourth quarter.
Sylvester shaved the difference between the teams down to a pair by the 2:40 mark of the fourth quarter as she delivered consecutive man-up tallies at 5:59 and 2:42 to put Washington on the edge of making a potential comeback and forcing overtime.
However, Connolly brought the curtain down on her six-goal game and the Huskies’ comeback hopes by slicing in a shot with 2:22 remaining to establish the 9-6 final score.
For Washington – which has now placed first (2000), sixth (2003, 2019, 2023), seventh (2016, 2017, 2018), eighth (2004) and 13th (2008) in the program’s trips to the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship – Sylvester scored four times and Nguyen added a pair to account for the Huskies’ offense.
Across the tank, Connolly (six), Mai (two) and Traynor combined for all nine Texas A&M goals.
In cage, Julia Lubas stopped eight shots for Washington, while Corine Kaderli (seven) and Reagan Smith (one) combined for eight Aggies’ saves.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 5 Texas A&M University |
4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 9 |
| No. 13 University of Washington | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 6 |
| Washington Goals: | Abigail Sylvester (4); Cathleen Nguyen (2) | |||||
| Texas A&M Goals: | Shannon Connolly (6); Aubrey Mai (2); Emily Traynor | |||||
| Saves: | Washington – Julia Lubas (8) ; Texas A&M – Corine Kaderli (7), Reagan Smith (1) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Washington – 7 ; Texas A&M – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Washington – 3-for-7 ; Texas A&M – 3-for-7 | |||||
| Sprints: | Washington – 1-for-4 (3rd) ; Texas A&M – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | Washington – None ; Texas A&M – None | |||||
| Officials: | Carlos Fuentes, Brandon Skiba | |||||
Texas A&M University’s Emily Nguyen (#5) defends the University of Washington’s Cathleen Nguyen (#8)
Texas A&M University’s Emily Traynor (#4) splits the University of Washington’s Jenna Somberg (#13) and Nicole Strella (#14)
Texas A&M University’s Shannon Connolly (#10) attempts to elude the University of Washington’s Addie Sciammas (#10), Eliza Wilkins (#4) and Nicole Lyckfors (#2)
