VILLANOVA, Pa. — The Saint Francis University women’s water polo team split the day at Villanova University by taking a 17-7 victory over Mount St. Mary’s University in the inaugural game in Mountaineers’ history prior to dropping a 13-12 contest to the host Wildcats.
Emese Szucs and Jenna Handali both recorded seven goals for the Red Flash, while Julia Bradford scored four and the duo of Taylor Halbauer and Addison Williams each notched three.
Facing fellow Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) institution Mount St. Mary’s in the opening varsity game of the day and the Mountaineers’ program history, Saint Francis snapped a five-game losing streak with a 10-goal victory.
SFU jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the conclusion of the first quarter. A goal from the Mountaineers and six more from the Red Flash gave Saint Francis at 10-2 lead heading into halftime. Leading 14-4 after 24 minutes of action, the teams traded goals in the fourth quarter for a 17-7 final score.
Every SFU player on the roster took a shot at the cage in the four quarters of play against Mount St. Mary’s as six different Red Flash athletes found the back of the net.
On offense, Handali was SFUs leading scorer with six goals on seven shots, while Szucs converted on five-of-nine shots. Sophomore Abbie Carter chipped in two assists.
Eight Red Flash players recorded steals, with sophomore Madeleine Voss (four), Halbauer (three) and junior Rebecca Pendleton (three) leading the way.
Junior Rosalinda Rivera and sophomore Haley Sanko shared time in front of the net, each recording three saves. Sanko allowed five goals, while Rivera permitted a pair.
Facing the host Wildcats of Villanova, a last minute surge doomed Saint Francis in a 13-12 defeat.
Tied at nine-all, Villanova managed to overcome the Red Flash down the stretch to escape with a one-score victory.
SFU fired 30 shots at the cage in four quarters of play as eight different players found the back of the net, with Halbauer as the leading scorer thanks to a hat-trick.
Szucs and Bradford both tallied two goals, while Handali tacked on another assist.
On defense, six Red Flash players recorded steals – led by pairs from Bradford and Szucs. Williams and Szucs each field blocked pairs of shots as Saint Francis finished with five in the game.
Williams added four steals in support of a 12 save performance by sophomore goalie Heather Jacobson.
Information courtesy Saint Francis University Athletics Communications
