Harvard University-vs.-Saint Francis University Scoresheet (PDF)
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Kirsten Hong (Jr., Orinda, Calif./Miramonte) buried three goals to lead eight scorers for No. 23-ranked Harvard University and claim Player of the Game notice as the Crimson dispatched Saint Francis University, 11-3, in the opening game of the 2018 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Varsity Championship hosted by Bucknell University at Kinney Natatorium.
The win guarantees a second game on Day One of the CWPA Championship for Harvard (16-17, 2-6 CWPA) as the Crimson will square off with No. 10/top-seed Princeton University at 6:00 p.m. with a semifinal berth on the line.
Facing the Red Flash (12-17, 0-8 CWPA) for the third time in 2018 following on the heels of 13-7 (March 24 at Saint Francis) and 14-4 (April 7 at Harvard), the Crimson jumped ahead 3-0 less than four minutes into the contest and never looked back.
Hong drew first blood for Harvard by bombing in a tally with 6:10 on the first quarter clock prior to Olivia Price (Fr., Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo) converting a man-up opportunity (4:57) and Julie Harrison (So., Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) reeling off an even-strength marker (4:19) to provide the Crimson a 3-0 margin.
Marialena Seletopoulou (Fr., Glyfada, Athens, Greece/Yannopoulous School) cut into SFU’s deficit prior at 1:02 by dumping in a natural score to move the Red Flash within 3-1, but Haley Bowe (Jr., Irvine, Calif./Irvine) arched in a shot with 11 seconds left to exchange a man-up chance for a 4-1 lead at the concluding horn of the first quarter.
Quinne Pursell (Fr., Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) pushed the margin to 5-1 with another power-play conversion 33 seconds into the second quarter (7:27), but Kelly Fehr (So., Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) answered with an even-strength strike at 6:24 to move Saint Francis back within three at 5-2.
The teams continued to trade scoring blows in the waning moments of the first half as Sami Strutner (Sr., Redwood City, Calif./Saint Francis) delivered at 4:13 for Harvard prior to Seletopoulou responding at 2:23 for the Red Flash to make it 6-3 in favor of the Crimson at intermission.
Seletopoulou’s goal marked the final offensive stat for Saint Francis as Harvard ripped off a 5-0 outburst in the second half to overwhelm and overcome SFU.
Hong starred in the third quarter for the Crimson as she found the back of the cage with 5:09 and 1:08 on the clock to sandwich a man-up heave by Sofia Carrera-Justiz (So., Coral Gables, Fla./Ransom Everglades) at 2:12. Carrera-Justiz closed out the third quarter by lining in a natural shot with 41 seconds remaining to make it 10-3.
Following nearly 4:39 of the scoreless play in the fourth quarter, Harvard drove home the final nail as Mathilde Ribordy (So., Quebec City, Quebec/Les Hydres de Quebec) hooked in a shot with 3:21 to go for the 11-3 final score.
For the Crimson, Hong (three) and Carrera-Justiz (two) recorded multiple scores, while Price, Strutner, Harrison, Pursell, Bowe and Ribordy each accounted for single tallies.
In cage, Cleo Harrington (Sr., Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) claimed the victory with seven saves and three goals allowed in 24 minutes before Sam Acker (Jr., Palo Alto, Calif./Gunn) came in to stop two shots and allow no goals in the fourth quarter.
Across the tank, Seletopoulou notched a pair with Fehr finishing one shot. Goalie Kate Wilke (So., Burbank, Calif./Burroughs) took the loss with eight saves.
The loss drops the Red Flash into a 1:30 p.m. consolation game on Saturday, April 28, against the fallen of a first round clash pitting the host Bison of Bucknell against No. 14 Indiana University.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Saint Francis University | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 |
| No. 23 Harvard University | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | 11 |
| Harvard Goals: | Kristen Hong (3); Sofia Carrera-Justiz (2); Olivia Price; Sam Strutner; Julie Harrison; Quinne Pursell; Haley Bowe; Mathilde Ribordy | |||||
| Saint Francis Goals: | Marialena Seletopoulou (2); Kelly Fehr | |||||
| Saves: | Harvard – Cleo Harrington (7, 24 minutes), Sam Acker (2, 8 minutes) ; Saint Francis – Kate Wilke (8) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Harvard – 5 ; Saint Francis – 5 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Harvard – 4-for-5 ; Saint Francis – 1-for-5 | |||||
| Sprints: | Harvard – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) ; Saint Francis – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Scott Voltz, Humberto Navarro | |||||
Harvard University’s Olivia Price (#12) drives to the cage as Saint Francis University’s Marialena Seletopoulou (#19), Julia Kreidinger (#16) and Kate Wilke (#1) defend
Harvard University’s Kirsten Hong (#13) aims to pass over Saint Francis University’s Erin O’Neill (#18)
Harvard University’s Quinne Pursell (#7)
