GROVE CITY, Pa. — Elaine Miller (Sr., Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) scored three times in the first, second and third quarters to conclude the contest with nine goals and earn Player of the Game honors as host Grove City College upended Carthage College, 20-7, to earn a spot in the 2022 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championship Fifth Place game.
Battling on the final day of the 17-game, three-day, 10-team championship at home in the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool, the Wolverines (9-9, 6-2 CWPA Division III-East) will seek to overcome longtime regional nemesis Washington & Jefferson College at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, for Fifth Place.
It will mark the fourth meeting of the year between CWPA Division III-East Region runner-up Grove City and CWPA Division III-East Region champion W&J as the Wolverines suffered a 14-12 setback on March 20 in Washington, Pa. before claiming an 11-10 victory in Erie on March 26 and a 12-9 win on April 9 in New London, Conn.
The Wolverines never trailed against the Firebirds (1-20, 0-8 CWPA Division III-West) as Grove City built a 4-0 lead by the 5:04 mark of the first quarter, pulled ahead 7-2 by the end of the opening frame and 10-4 by halftime prior to outscoring Carthage 5-2 and 5-1 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to reach 20-goal plateau for the first time this season. Overall, the Wolverines last achieved 20+ goals on March 22, 2019, at home in Longnecker Competition Pool with a 21-7 defeat of Utica College.
For the Wolverines, Miller keyed the offense with nine goals, while Reese Trauger (Jr., Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) dented the twine five times. Sophia Melanson (Sr., Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and Michelle Danley (Jr., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) both contributed pairs with Kamryn Kerr (Fr., East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) and goalie Tia Kannel (Jr., York, Pa./Central York) chipping in solo strikes.
Kannel picked up the win in cage with nine saves to best Carthage’s Evelyn Kajohn (Fr., Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein).
Gladys Contreras (Fr., Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) led the Firebirds with two goals, while Sarah Lowery (Fr., Chicago, Ill./Fenwick), Meghan Fisher (Sr., Tinley Park, Ill./Frankfort-Lincoln-Way East), Annika Hoglund (So., Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge), Victoria Hodges (So., Oxford, Mich./Lake Orion) and Alyssa Sayatovic (So., Berwyn, Ill./Fenwick) tacked on solo tallies.
The Firebirds will wrap-up their season at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, against Penn State Behrend in the Seventh Place game. It will mark the first meeting of the year between the two programs as Carthage seeks to take Seventh Place after previously finishing 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 | |
| Carthage College (1-20, 0-8 CWPA Division III-West) |
2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 7 |
| Grove City College (9-9, 6-2 CWPA Division III-East) |
7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | – | 20 |
| Grove City Goals: | Elaine Miller (9); Reese Trauger (5); Sophia Melanson (2); Michelle Danley (2); Kamryn Kerr; Tia Kannel | |||||
| Carthage Goals: | Gladys Contreras (2); Sarah Lowery; Meghan Fisher; Annika Hoglund; Victoria Hodges; Alyssa Sayatovic | |||||
| Saves: | Grove City – Tia Kannel (9) ; Carthage – Eveyn Kajohn (2) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Grove City – 5 ; Carthage – 13 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Grove City – 9-for-13 ; Carthage – 2-for-5 | |||||
| Sprints: | Grove City – 4-for-4 ; Carthage – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | Misconduct – Kaitlynn LaGrone (5:50 left in 3rd Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Greg Sanchez; Brandon Nicholson | |||||
Carthage College’s Sophie Flott (#8) prepares to pass over Grove City College’s Elaine Miller (#17)
Grove City College’s Kyra Johnson (#9) menaces Carthage College’s Gladys Contreras (#17)
Grove City College’s Kamryn Kerr (#3)
