PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The No. 21-ranked Bucknell University women’s water polo team split its first two games of the season at Kirk Pool versus host La Salle University. The Bison fell 20-19 in overtime in game one, before rebounding with an 11-9 win in the second cash of the day.
In game one, Bucknell managed its most goals since February 16, 2019 against Mercyhurst University, but the Explorers found the winning goal as the horn sounded in the second overtime to take a 20-19 win. The win was the first in program history for La Salle over Bucknell after its program was established in 2019.
Bucknell looked to be in control early on in the first game, scoring six unanswered goals as it raced out to a 6-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Two goals each from Ally Furano and Megan LaCroix sparked the run, while Kali Hyham and Marcela Herrera each scored once.
The Explorers gradually reduced the Bison advantage, cutting the Bucknell lead to two right at the end of the second quarter after scoring seven of the next ten goals to end the half. Furano scored with 46 seconds left in the half on a power play set up by her own drawn exclusion, before La Salle responded with two goals in the final 17 seconds as the Bison led at the break, 9-7.
La Salle opened the third quarter with four straight goals to take its first lead of the day at the 4:42 mark of the third quarter, 11-10. Hyham halted the 6-0 run for La Salle with a goal at the 4:05 mark, and scored once more just under a minute later to restore a 12-11 lead for the Bison. La Salle responded with one more goal to tie the game at 12 as the two teams remained deadlocked heading into the fourth.
The two teams exchanged 3-0 runs to start the fourth, with La Salle scoring three unanswered tallies in the first 4:39 of the half. Bucknell responded with three goals of its own to tie the game at 15. Herrera found the tying goal with 35 seconds remaining on an assist from Hyham, and neither team could capitalize on its final possession as the game went into overtime.
Bucknell led twice in the first overtime period. Furano converted a penalty shot that she won with 1:42 to go, before first year center defender Emma Molaski scored her second goal of the day with 27 seconds to go. La Salle tied the game with ten seconds remaining in the first overtime as the two teams went into a second overtime period.
La Salle managed a two goal lead to start the second overtime, 19-17, but two straight goals from Hyham in the final minute of the period brought the two teams level once more. However, Madison Martinez of La Salle found the back of the cage just as the final horn sounded to give La Salle the one-goal victory.
The game featured eight ties and six lead changes. Furano scored seven for the Bison in the win, one shy of her school record that she set on the opening game of 2020 against Marist. Hyham added six goals and two assists, while Molaski, LaCroix, and Herrera each added multiple goals. Sophomore Bella Moynihan added five assists for the Bison, while Hyham also contributed five steals.
The game was a clash of Hyham family members as La Salle head coach Tom Hyham, father of Kali, was able to overcome his daughter’s six goals, two assists, five steal and pair of ejections drawn.
Bucknell responded well in game two, as it never trailed en route to an 11-9 win. The Bison scored twice in the first four minutes of the game as the duo of Hyham and Furano each scored and assisted the other. Furano extended the lead to 3-0, this time on an assist from LaCroix, as Bucknell once again raced out to an early lead, 3-0, with 1:58 to go in the first quarter.
Bucknell led by as many as four, 5-1, as Hyham scored on another assist from LaCroix with 7:28 to go in the second quarter. The Bison remained in control the remainder of the first half of play in taking a five-goal advantage, 8-3, at the halftime break on two more goals by Furano and a goal from Molaski.
La Salle made things interesting in the third quarter, shutting out the Bison while scoring three goals of its own in cutting the deficit to 8-6 with a eight minutes remaining. One more goal from the Explorers’ Madelyn Koerper with 7:40 remaining brought La Salle within one as it looked to once again come from behind.
Furano broke the Bucknell scoreless streak with 4:26 to go, as the Bison capitalized on a man-up opportunity. The Explorers brought the game within one, 9-8, with 3:59 to go, but goals from Herrera and Furano restored a three-goal cushion for the Orange and Blue as it went on to an 11-9 win.
Furano added five goals and two assists in the nightcap, while Hyham scored four more times as both eclipsed the ten-goal mark over two games. Molaski and Herrera each scored once, while LaCroix chipped in three assists and five steals. Paige Furano added six steals for the Bison.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
