LEWISBURG, Pa. — The No. 23-ranked Bucknell University women’s water polo team dropped a 16-5 decision to No. 7 the University of Michigan and came back to claim a 21-5 victory over Mount St. Mary’s University at home in Kinney Natatorium.
In game one versus the Wolverines, Bucknell was held to a season-low five goals. The goal output was the lowest for the Bison since March 8 of last season against Wagner College.
Michigan took a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by Maddie O’Reilly, Erin Neustrom and Anne Rankin. However, Bucknell pulled a goal back right near the end of the first on a goal by Emma Molaski, the fourth of the season for the first year.
Michigan then responded with a goal by Kata Utassy on a five-meter attempt to restore the three-goal cushion after one quarter of play.
The Wolverines surged in the second period, and extended their lead to 9-1, outscoring the Bison 7-2 in the second period. Bucknell scored two straight on goals by Kali Hyham in the second to cut the Wolverine lead to four, but Michigan answered right back with two goals of its own to close the half in cruising to a 16-5 win.
Hyham led the Bison with three goals, while Molaski and Ally Furano added Bucknell’s other goals.
In the nightcap, the Bison scored the first eight goals of the game to take a commading 21-5 win over Mount St. Mary’s, a program in its first year of intercollegiate competition. After a Mount St. Mary’s goal in the second period to stop the Bison scoring streak, Bucknell added nine more unanswered goals in taking a 17-1 lead at the halftime break.
Bucknell added four more goals in the second half en route to cruising to a 21-5 win, its largest against an opponent since a 26-6 win over Gannon University in head coach John McBride‘s first season in the Orange and Blue in 2011. McBride, after the win against the Mountaineers, passed John Zeigler for the most wins in Bucknell women’s water polo history with his 140th win in charge of the program.
Bucknell boasted ten different goal scorers on the day. Hyham continued her recent goalscoring run of form with five goals, while Ally Furano added five goals herself. Paige Furano added three goals and Isabelle Monaghan scored twice. Kirstin Hayduchok scored her first career goal for the Bison in the win.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
