CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Caylah Olay (So., Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) scored five times to garner Player of the Game status as Saint Francis University doubled Bucknell University, 12-6, in the Fifth Place game at the 2024 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship hosted by Harvard University at Blodgett Pool.
The Red Flash (9-25, 1-9 CWPA) – which previously finished third (2021), fourth (2023), fifth (2022), sixth (2019), eighth (2017) and ninth (2018) at the CWPA Championship – never trailed in upending the Bison (6-21, 2-8 CWPA) by holding 3-1, 5-3 and 3-1 scoring advantages in the first, second and third quarters, respectively.
Bucknell, which claimed second (2021), third (2019), fourth (2006), fifth (2010, 2016, 2018), sixth (2008, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023), seventh (2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015), eighth (2003, 2012), ninth (2000) and 11th (2002) place marks since 2000 in the many versions of the CWPA/Eastern Championship, fell behind early thanks to a 3-0 outburst by the Red Flash.
Olay sandwiched a goal from Kayla Rhoads (Jr., Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) as the duo deposited strikes at the 6:23, 5:40 and 2:36 marks of the first quarter to stake the Red Flash to a sizable margin before Bucknell’s Izzy Lippolis (Jr., Greenwich, Conn./Convent of the Sacred Heart) found the back of the cage with four seconds on the clock.
Campbell Collins (Fr., Baltimore, Md./Williston Northampton School) commenced the second quarter by slipping in a shot with 7:35 until halftime to move the Bison within one at 3-2.
The Red Flash offense reignited, however, as Emese Szucs (Sr., Budapest, Hungary) (6:38; 4:23, man-up) and Lucy Willis (So., Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) (6:02) combined for another three-goal surge to move ahead 6-2.
The teams traded scores over the remainder of the first half as Isabelle Monaghan (Sr., Lawrenceville, N.J./The Lawrenceville School) (3:25; 2:12, penalty shot) put away a pair for the Bison, while Sarah Hartwell (So., Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and Olay retorted at 3:04 and 1:09, respectively, to flip the scoreboard to 8-4 in favor of the Red Flash through 16 minutes.
Saint Francis locked up the win in the first four minutes of the third quarter as Georgia Ellison (Fr., Canbarra, Australia/St. John Paul II College) (5:43) and Olay (5:03; 4:04) expanded SFU’s lead to 11-4. Monaghan closed out the third quarter by completing a hat-trick with 59 seconds remaining in the frame to close the gap to 11-5.
Sam Eschleman (Fr., Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) started the fourth quarter by connecting for Saint Francis’ 12th goal 12 seconds into the final eight minutes prior to Gwen Kallmeyer (So., Mill Valley, Calif./Redwood) responding with the concluding strike for Bucknell with 2:11 remaining in regulation to establish the 12-6 final score.
Monghan wrapped up the 2024 season for Bucknell with a hat-trick to go along with single scores by Collins, Kallmeyer and Lippolis. Goalkeeper Tamara Torkos (Fr., Budapest, Hungary/Baldog Adolf Kolping Katolikus Altalanos, Gimnazium es Sportgin) notched seven saves in suffering the loss.
Olay (five) and Szucs (two) accounted for seven of the Red Flash’s 12 goals with Hartwell, Ellison, Rhoads, Eschleman and Willis chipping in solo markers. Isabel Lumley (Jr., Brisbane, Australia/Brisbane Girls Grammar School) stopped 12 shots in cage as Saint Francis claimed its ninth victory of the season.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Saint Francis University |
3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | – | 12 |
| Bucknell University | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | 6 |
| Bucknell Goals: | Isabelle Monaghan (3); Campbell Collins; Gwen Kallmeyer; Izzy Lippolis | |||||
| SFU Goals: | Caylah Olay (5); Emese Szucs (2); Sam Eschleman; Sarah Hartwell; Georgia Ellison; Kayla Rhoads; Lucy Willis | |||||
| Saves: | Bucknell – Tamara Torkos (7) ; SFU – Isabel Lumley (12) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Bucknell – 3 ; SFU – 12 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Bucknell – 2-for-12 ; SFU – 1-for-3 | |||||
| Sprints: | Bucknell – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 3rd) ; SFU – 1-for-4 (4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – Bucknell (Head coach John McBride, 4:23 left in 2nd Q); YC – Saint Francis (Head coach Jeremiah O’Neil, 4:04 left in 3rd Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Easton Honaker, Stephanie Villalobos | |||||
Bucknell University’s Gwen Kallmeyer (#5) & Saint Francis University’s Caylah Olay (#14)
Bucknell University’s Bella Schraa (#6) closed on Saint Francis University’s Kayla Rhoads (#3)
Saint Francis University’s Caylah Olay (#14) looks for an opening as Bucknell University’s Campbell Collins (#2) defends
2024 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship Sixth Place: Bucknell University
2024 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship Fifth Place: Saint Francis University
