LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Mercyhurst University women’s water polo team claimed its first win of the season as the Lakers dropped a 17-3 game to No. 12-ranked Princeton University prior to recovering with a 9-8 victory against Saint Francis University in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) competition at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
Facing Princeton, the Lakers got on the board first with a goal from freshman Mercedes Feliciano-Fernandez. Princeton responded with back-to-back goals to take the lead away from Mercyhurst. Freshman Bailey Dunn scored a goal with 44 seconds left in the quarter to deadlock the teams at two-all entering the second quarter.
The Tigers opened up the second quarter scoring with a goal to take a 3-2 lead. Graduate student Alexa Corrao quickly responded for the Lakers to tie the game at three-all, but Princeton proceeded to pounce for four more goals to acquire a 7-3 by halftime.
In the second half, Princeton pulled away with 10 goals in overmatching Mercyhurst.
The Lakers – which last won a women’s water polo game on March 27, 2025, with a 10-9 dispatching of Augustana College in Erie, Pa., – gained its first conference win since a 10-9 defeat of McKendree University on April 28, 2024 at the 2024 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship Third Place game as Mercyhurst held off Saint Francis by a 9-8 count.
The win snaps a seven-game losing streak by the Lakers against the Red Flash dating back to the programs’ first meeting during the 2017 season as Mercyhurst improves to 1-7 all-time against Saint Francis.
In the first quarter, the Red Flash opened up to a 1-0 with just under six minutes remaining. The Lakers responded with a goal from freshman Bailey Dunn to tie the game at one-all. Saint Francis and Mercyhurst traded goals again, with the Lakers’ second goal coming from freshman Mercedes Feliciano-Fernandez. With just over three minutes left, Saint Francis broke the two-all tie to take the lead. Sophomore Victoria Mastrangelo tied it back at three for the Lakers 12 seconds later. She proceeded to break the tie and give Mercyhurst a 4-3 lead with her second goal of the game. The Red Flash responded to tie the game again at four, but Feliciano-Fernandez broke the tie with her second goal, giving Mercyhurst a 5-4 margin entering the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Saint Francis scored back-to-back goals to gain a 6-5 lead. The scoreboard advantage was short-lived, however, as Mastrangelo leveled the damage at six-all with her third goal of the game prior to halftime.
Fifty-eight seconds into the third quarter, Dunn scored her second goal of the day to push the Lakers back in front a 7-6. Senior Krista Domaracki continued the offensive display for Mercyhurst to stake the Lakers to an 8-6 leading through three quarters of competition.
In the fourth quarter, Dunn completed a hat trick to widen Mercyhurst’s lead to 9-6. Saint Francis scored two goals to close within one tally, but the Lakers received a field block in the waning seconds of the game to hang on for the win.
Information courtesy Mercyhurst University Athletics Communications
