GROVE CITY, Pa. — Reese Trauger (So., Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) netted 11 goals over the span of two games as host Grove City College dropped a pair of games to Wittenberg University, 20-11, and Mercyhurst University, 26-10, at the James E. Lonnecker Pool.
The Wolverines fell in their season and Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III season-openers as Wittenberg claimed a 20-11 victory.
Grove City led 1-0 (7:37), 2-1 (6:34) and 3-2 (5:26) in the opening moments of the first quarter, but Wittenberg rallied back to pull ahead to stay at 4-3 prior to the close of the opening frame.
Trailing 5-3 with 5:43 left in the second quarter prior to pulling within 5-4 with 4:15 on the clock, the Wolverines saw their comeback hopes dashed as Wittenberg pulled ahead to double-up Grove City, 8-4, with 2:39 remaining until the break.
Trailing 10-5 at halftime, Grove City attempted to climb back into the game as the lead swayed from six (11-5, 7:37), down to four (11-7, 5:23), back to five (12-7, 5:07), down to four (12-8, 4:12) and finally to six (14-8, 31 seconds).
Wittenberg put the contest out of reach in the dawning minutes of the fourth quarter as the team capped off a 6-0 run with strikes at 7:15, 6:02, 4:06 and 3:19 to build the gap between the two squads to 10 at 18-8.
The Tigers and Wolverines traded scoring shots from there as the margin fell and rose from 18-9, 19-9, 19-10, 20-10 and finally 20-11.
Trauger led Grove City with eight goals, while Michelle Danley (So., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) and Tia Kannel (So., York, Pa./Central York) punched in two and one, respectively.
Taking on the Lakers of Division II Mercyhurst, Danley inflicted the majority of Grove City’s damage with five goals. Trauger added three more, while Sophia Melanson (So., Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and Kannel both chipped in solo strikes.
Mercyhurst never trailed in the game by opening up a 7-0 lead in the first quarter prior to exiting the opening eight minutes with an 8-1 scoreboard advantage.
Trailing 15-3 by halftime, Grove City pulled to within 11 goals at 21-10 by the conclusion of the third quarter thanks to a 7-6 scoring advantage in the frame. However, Mercyhurst wrapped up the victory by recording five more goals in the fourth quarter while holding the Wolverines in check for the 26-10 win.
