Hartwick College-vs.-George Washington University Scoresheet (PDF)
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Lena Kotanchyan (So., Moscow, Russia/Elk Island School #368) scored four times to claim Player of the Game accolades as the No. 13-ranked Hartwick College Hawks clawed their way past the Colonials of George Washington University in the opening round of the 2018 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Varsity Championship at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
The victory advances Hartwick (29-10, 5-3 CWPA) into the tournament semifinals as the Hawks will attempt to peck No. 10 and two-time defending CWPA Champion the University of Michigan, which defeated Brown University, 16-4, at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. It will mark the third meeting of the year between the Hawks and Wolverines as Michigan downed Hartwick 14-7 in non-league competition on March 11 at Moyer Pool in Oneonta, N.Y. prior to notching a 10-9 victory on April 14 at home in Ann Arbor, Mich. at Canham Natatorium.
Hartwick spread its wings early and grounded George Washington (13-14, 3-5 CWPA) in the first 4:43 of play as the Hawks ripped off four consecutive markers to collect a 4-0 lead.
2018 CWPA Most Valuable Player Zsofia Polak (Sr., Dunaujvaros, Hungary/Rudas) put her squad in front to stay as she cashed in a man-up chance with 6:08 on the first quarter clock to set the wheels of Hartwick’s victory in motion. Following an even-strength strike by Tori Wilson (So., Kitchener, Ontario/Grand River Collegiate Institute) at 5:37 to make it 2-0, Kotanchyan delivered the final blows of the offensive flurry by banging in a five-meter penalty shot (4:57) and a natural marker (3:17) to expand the gap between the programs to 4-0.
The Colonials responded with a man-up tally from Grace Heck (Fr., Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos) with 2:55 left on the opening frame’s clock, but Hartwick got the goal back prior to the conclusion of the quarter via a power-play point by Polak with 10 seconds left to make it 5-1 after eight minutes of action.
George Washington inched back within three goals 1:08 into the second quarter as Jacqueline Bywater (Sr, Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) lined in a five-meter penalty shot at 6:52 to chip Hartwick’s lead down to 5-2.
The margin swayed between three and four goals over the remainder of the first half as Lauren Brennan (Sr., Canberra, Australia/St. Clares College) (5:37, even-strength), Charlotte Cottle (Sr., Sydney, Australia/Prebyterian Ladies College) (2:11, even-strength) and Polak (52 seconds, five-meter penalty shot) delivered for Hartwick, while Maggie Ball (Sr., Saratoga, Calif./Saint Francis) (4:18, man-up) and Scarlett Hallahan (Sr., San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) (1:48, man-up) contributed answers for the Colonials to set the scoreboard at 8-4 in favor of Hartwick at the break.
Hartwick, however, put any doubts regarding the eventual outcome to rest in the third quarter as Kotanchyan ticked off back-to-back blasts at 7:21 and 6:17, while Wilson and Katie McKenty (Sr., Auckland, New Zealand/Takapuna Grammar School) netted scores at 5:12 and 17 seconds, respectively, to build the lead to 12-4.
George Washington managed to chip away at its deficit as Jaleh Moaddeli (Fr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) drilled in a shot with four seconds remaining in the third quarter prior to Hallahan (7:14, 4:37) completing a hat-trick with consecutive power-play tallies in the first half of the fourth quarter to move the Colonials within 12-7.
Bywater tacked on her second goal at 4:07 to shrink Hartwick’s lead down to 12-8, but Brennan countered at 3:18 to make it 13-8.
GW exacted the concluding blow as Alana Ponce (Fr., Gig Harbor, Wash./Gig Harbor) tossed in her team’s final marker for the 13-9 final score.
For Hartwick, Polak joined Kotanchyan in notching hat-tricks, while Brennan and Wilson both posted pairs. McKenty and Cottle each tacked on solo markers in support of a six save effort by goalie Emma Aleksandrovic (So., Belgrade, Serbia/Medicine School Zvezdara).
George Washington, which previously fell to Hartwick by a 20-10 score on April 7 in league action at Harvard University, received a hat-trick from Hallahan along with two goals by Bywater. Heck, Ball, Moaddeli and Ponce each added solo strikes. Samantha Runyon (So., San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) made eight saves in taking the loss.
The defeat drops the Colonials into the consolation side of the bracket as GW will face Brown at Noon on Saturday, April 28, in the opening game of Day Two of the CWPA Championship with a spot in the tournament’s Fifth Place game on the line.
George Washington stands at 1-0 against the Bears in 2018 as GW dropped Brown by an 8-7 score at Princeton University’s DeNunzio Natatorium on April 15 in both teams’ regular season finale.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| George Washington University | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | – | 9 |
| No. 13 Hartwick College | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | 13 |
| Hartwick Goals: | Lena Kotanchyan (4); Zsofia Polak (3); Lauren Brennan (2); Tori Wilson (2); Katie McKenty; Charlotte Cottle | |||||
| GW Goals: | Scarlett Hallahan (3); Jacqueline Bywater (2); Grace Heck; Maggie Ball; Jaleh Moaddeli; Alana Ponce | |||||
| Saves: | Hartwick – Emma Aleksandrovic (6) ; GW – Samantha Runyon (8) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Hartwick – 11 ; GW – 11 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Hartwick – 4-for-11 ; GW – 6-for-11 | |||||
| Sprints: | Hartwick – 4-for-4 ; GW – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – Hartwick (Head coach Alan Huckins, 1:10 left in 4th Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Val Vasilchikov, Julie Snyder | |||||
George Washington University’s Maggie Ball (#15) attempts a pass over Hartwick College’s L.J. Edwards (#12)
George Washington University’s Jaleh Moaddeli (#21) defends Hartwick College’s Tori Wilson (#4)
Hartwick College’s Zsofia Polak (#13) lines up a shot as George Washington University’s Ally Jochim (#10) defends
