Saint Francis University Stuns No. 20 Brown University, 7-3, to Earn Spot in 2023 Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Championship Semifinals

No. 20 Brown University-vs.-Saint Francis University Scoresheet (2023 Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship – Game #2)

PRINCETON, N.J — Emese Szucs (Jr., Budapest, Hungary) scored three times to pick-up Player of the Game honors as Saint Francis University stunned No. 20-ranked Brown University, 7-3, to punch the program’s ticket to the 2023 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship semifinals at Princeton University’s DeNunzio Pool.

The Red Flash (13-21-1, 2-8 CWPA) – which dropped 16-3 and 17-5 games to the Bears (25-10, 5-5 CWPA) during the regular season – will take on another nationally-ranked Ivy League institution in the semifinals as Saint Francis meets No. 10/CWPA regular season champion Princeton University at Noon on Saturday, April 29.  SFU lost both of its regular season contests against the Tigers as Princeton garnered 17-8 and 12-4 victories.

The team is guaranteed to finish no lower than fourth in the six-team championship field.  Historically, the Red Flash previously garnered third (2021), fifth (2022), sixth (2019), eighth (2017) and ninth (2018) place marks.  However, the 2021 championship was a COVID-19 impacted four-team event with the University of Michigan, Bucknell University and former league member Mount St. Mary’s University.

Brown – which previously finished first (2001), second (2003), fourth (2004, 2009, 2012, 2022), fifth (2000, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019), sixth (2002, 2010, 2018), seventh (2005, 2016, 2017) and ninth (2011) at the CWPA Championship – will see its season come to a close at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, as the Bears battle Bucknell in the fifth place game.  The Bison earned its spot in the contest by falling in the tournament’s opening game via a 23-10 score to No. 18 Harvard University. 

Saint Francis never trailed against Brown as Abigail Carter (Sr., Abbotsford, B.C./St. John Brebeuf) hammered home the opening strike with 2:42 on the first quarter clock prior to Caylah Olay (Fr., Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) putting away a man-up chance at 1:49 as the Red Flash burned its way to a 2-0 lead by the close of the opening frame.

Szucs got on the board exactly one minute into the second quarter as Saint Francis cushioned its lead to 3-0 entering halftime.

Brown broke up the shutout bid with 4:29 left in the third quarter as Sophie Golub (Jr., Woodside, Calif./Menlo School) trimmed the Bears’ deficit to 3-1.  The teams exchanged scoring jabs over the remainder of the frame as Addison Williams (Sr., Clovis, Calif./Sanger) and Lily Weiser (Sr., Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos) notched markers at 4:01 and 1:22, respectively, to set the scoreboard at 4-2 heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.

Szucs padded SFU’s lead to 5-2 with 5:47 left to play, but Zoe King (Sr., Almaden, Calif./Leland) delivered a response for Bruno courtesy a five-meter penalty shot at 3:16 as Brown remained within striking distance at 5-3.

Needing a score to break the Bears’ momentum, Szucs finished off a hat-trick and Brown with 1:16 left on the clock by zipping in a shot to double-up Brown, 6-3.

Haiden Lang (Sr., Placentia, Calif./Esperanza) closed out the victory by tacking on an insurance goal with two seconds to go for the 7-3 final score.

For Brown, Weiser, Golub and King accounted for their team’s offense.  Shauna Franke (Jr., La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla) and Roxanne Hazuka (Fr., La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla) combined for three saves.

Szucs led the Saint Francis offense with three goals to accompany solo strikes by Lang, Carter, Williams and Olay.  Isabel Lumley (So., Brisbane, Australia/Brisbane Girls School) earned the win in cage with 12 saves.