BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Brooke Hourigan (Sr., Newport Beach, Calif./Orange Lutheran) of No. 18-ranked Harvard University contributed seven goals, three assists and six steals over the span of three games to lead the Crimson to a runner-up finish at the 2023 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship hosted by Princeton University. For her performance, Hourigan is named the May 1 CWPA Division I Player of the Week.
A five-time weekly honor recipient from the league office, she was previously named the Rookie of the Week on February 10 and February 17 during the 2020 season prior to taking home a pair of Player of the Week notices in 2022 (February 14, April 11).
Competing in likely her final weekend of intercollegiate play for Harvard, she commenced competition on Friday, April 28, at DeNunzio Pool by posting three goals and a pair of steals in a 23-10 defeat of Bucknell University. The victory advanced the Crimson into the semifinals and a clash with No. 9/six-time defending CWPA Champion the University of Michigan.
Facing the Wolverines on Saturday, April 29, she accounted for two goals, an assist and two steals as Harvard stunned the Maize & Blue, 9-8, with a last second strike from her hand to make the conference title game for the second time in as many seasons.
Michigan – which previously topped Harvard 14-6 (April 1 at Harvard) and 15-8 (April 16 at Michigan) in the prior 2023 meetings between the pair of programs and defeated the Crimson at Bucknell for the 2022 CWPA Championship – tied the game at eight-all with 57 seconds left on the clock via a penalty shot from a call against Hourigan.
Following a Michigan turnover with 12 seconds left in regulation, the Crimson went on the attack and found Hourigan who buried a shot with one second left for the game-winner to push her squad into the CWPA Championship title game.
The title game berth marked the fifth in Harvard women’s water polo history as the team fell to Slippery Rock University in 1990, 1993 and 1995 before suffering a 10-4 setback in the 2022 CWPA Championship title game at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
It marked the first time Michigan lost a game at the CWPA Championship since April 26, 2015, as the Maize & Blue fell to Hartwick College by an 11-10 score in overtime to finish in fourth place at a then 10-team CWPA Championship hosted by Princeton at DeNunzio Pool – a span of 2,925 days.
Further, the win improved Harvard to 3-19-1 all-time against Michigan with prior wins in 1989 (May 6, 12-7 W at Bucknell University) and 2000 (April 6, 9-8 W at Indiana University) along with a tie in 1990 (April 21, 7-7 T at Harvard.
Facing the host/No. 10 Tigers for the league championship on Sunday, April 30, she contributed pairs of goals, assists and steals in a 12-8 loss to Princeton.
May 1 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division I Player of the Week Honor Roll: Maddie Poissonnier (Brown University); Chloe Smith (Bucknell University); Jovana Sekulic (Princeton University); Emese Szucs (Saint Francis University); Kata Utassy (University of Michigan)
