LORETTO, Pa. — The Mount St. Mary’s University women’s water polo team crossed off another milestone by defeating Saint Francis University for the first-ever Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) victory in the history of the program.
Rebecca Valentine led the Mountaineers with five goals, followed by Ana Luisa Cotta with four. Cotta also took charge on steals and assists, with five and three, respectively. Valentine – along with multi-goal scorer Naomi Sanders – created numerous six-on-five opportunities by drawing exclusions. The duo combined for 10 led by Valentine with six.
Taking the victory required stopping several SFU comebacks as the Mountaineers collected 11 steals. Goalie Samantha Bright claimed the victory in cage by denying 13 shots from the Red Flash with a pair of steals.
Both teams started strong on the defensive end with one combined goal in the first quarter. Mount St. Mary’s took a 4-2 lead at the break, but the Red Flash rallied pull even at seven-all heading into the fourth quarter.
Cotta broke the deadlock with a score at the 5:32 mark and Valentine added to the lead one minute later. Mount St. Mary’s retained the cushion the rest of the way to claim the program’s first-ever league win.
Release courtesy Mount St. Mary’s University Athletics Communications
