LEWISBURG, Pa.— The Long Island University women's water polo team battled in a pair of overtime contests in the final day of the Bucknell Invitational on Sunday at Kinney Natatorium. The Sharks dropped a 15-14 overtime decision to Salem University in the first game of the day before falling to La Salle 10-8 to close out the tournament.
Game 1 - Salem 15, LIU 14 (3 OT)
The first game of the day was a back and forth battle between the Sharks and Tigers. LIU held a one-goal lead, 5-4 at halftime thanks to three goals from freshman
Jessica Dean and two goals from rookie
Kate Fischer.
Salem outscored LIU, 3-2 in the third quarter to make it a 7-7 game heading into the fourth. Both teams were evenly matched in the last quarter of regulation scoring four goals each to force overtime.
The Sharks held the one-goal lead after the first overtime with one last goal from freshman
Kate Hinrichs to take back the lead. Salem held the 2-1 advantage on goals in the second overtime to force third and final overtime. The Tigers netted the game winning goal with 29 seconds remaining to take the game, 15-14.
Dean led LIU with six goals against the Tigers and won four sprints. Hinirchs tallied a season-high four goals and Fischer had her first career multi-goal game with two scores. Freshman
Erin Pascual led the Sharks with three assists.
LIU spilt time in goal for the second straight game with rookies
Rebecca Ansell and
Julia Zebak both seeing time in the cage. Ansell tallied six blocks and Zebak recorded five blocks to go with a steal and an assist.
Game 2 - La Salle 10, LIU 8 (2OT)
LIU squared off with MAAC foe, La Salle in the final game of the weekend. Scoring was slow to start as both teams traded one goal in the first quarter of play. The Sharks used goals by Dean and Garcia to counter one goal from the Explorers for a 3-2 lead at halftime.
La Salle responded out of the half outscoring LIU, 3-1 in the third quarter to take a 5-4 lead into the fourth. Momentum continued for the Explorers in the fourth with the first two goals of the period to take a 7-4 lead. LIU battled back with three straight scores, including a goal from Dean with 18 seconds remaining to force overtime.
In the first overtime, La Salle picked up the first two goals before Hinrichs found the back of the cage to make it a 9-8 game. The Explorers notched the only score in the second overtime at the two minute mark, to hold on to the 10-8 win.
Both Dean and Hinrichs netted hat tricks to lead the Sharks in scoring against the Explorers. Garcia and freshman
Taylor Thurlow also scored for LIU. Fischer recorded three assists and freshman
Jenna Anderson added two assists.
In goal, both Ansell and Zebak recorded four saves for the Sharks.
UP NEXT
LIU travels down to New Jersey to compete at the Princeton Invitational for three games. The Sharks will take on George Washington first on Saturday, February 15 before closing out the tournament against San Diego State and Princeton on Sunday, February 16.
