The Bison women’s water polo team went 2-0 this past weekend against Gannon and Mercyhurst while on the road, improving to a 4-2 record this season. The Orange and Blue posted impressive margins, defeating Gannon 18-9 in game one, and Mercyhurst 15-7 in the second game of the evening.

The Bison started off the day strong against Gannon, using 12 goals in the first half to set the tone for the rest of the game. Kali Hyham ’21 led the way for the Bison, contributing six goals, including two in the first two minutes of the game. After Gannon scored on a penalty shot with 3:20 left in the first, the Bison wasted no time and rattled off three straight goals from Marcella Herrera ’21, Ally Furano ’21 and Hyham to take a 5-1 lead at the end of the first period.

Hyham opened the next period with another goal, extending the Bison’s run to 4-0. The momentum continued for the Orange and Blue, with five more goals throughout the next six minutes. The Golden Knights managed to get one in the cage before the end of the second period, bringing the Bison to a 12-2 lead heading into halftime.

The Bison tagged on six more goals in the second half. Hyham notched a season high of six goals in the game, while fellow senior A. Furano added five of her own. Paige Furano ’22, scored a hat trick, with contributions from Herrera, Bella Moynihan ’23 and Emma Molaski ’24 as well. Megan LaCroix ’23, added seven assists in the win and Sam Gove ’23 contributed six saves in the cage.

The Bison kept their momentum in their second game of the day against Mercyhurst, once again having a very strong first period. They outscored Mercyhurst 6-0 in the opening eight minutes of the game, setting the tone for their 15-7 win.

Hyham was at it again, scoring six goals for the second straight contest. However, it was P. Furano who opened the Bison’s scoring on an unassisted goal early in the first period. After scoring a goal of her own, P. Furano assisted her sister A. Furano and LaCroix for the Bison’s next two goals. The Bison ended the first period with a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Orange and Blue extended their lead to 8-1 into the second, and never led by less than five goals throughout the remainder of the game. It was another team effort with contributions from several players. Hyham led all scorers with six goals, A. Furano added four and P. Furano contributed three. LaCroix helped with three assists, while Herrera and P. Furano added five and seven steals defensively. With contributions all around, the Bison were able to swim away with a 15-7 victory in their second game, and a 2-0 record on the day.

“We had a great weekend of non conference games to get us ready for the next three weekends of conference. We played really well as a team and we are looking forward to the tough games we have ahead of us,” Hyham said about the weekend.

The Bison will return to Kinney Natatorium on April 11, to take on Michigan and St. Francis (Pa.) at home.