Over the weekend, Women’s Water Polo traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts where they played Wagner, Long Island, Marist and Siena. It was a tough opening weekend for the Bison, as they lost three out of the four games.
On Saturday, Feb. 3, Bucknell fell 18-8 against Wagner and lost 18-4 to Long Island.
In game one against Wagner, the Bison were successful in winning the sprint in the first two-quarters of play. Gwen Kallmeyer ’26 and Izzy Lippolis ’25 put Bucknell’s first tallies on the board. These were the Bison’s only successful plays on net in the first half. Wagner then went on a 7-2 run.
To start off the second half, the Bison came out determined to score. Campbell Collins ’27 was able to start the scoring movement by nailing her first collegiate goal shortly after the whistle initiated the start.
Although Wagner was pulling ahead, Bucknell captain Isabelle Monaghan ’24 notched four goals in an effort to close the gap 13-8. Ultimately, Wagner stayed in the lead and scored five more goals to end the game 18-8.
Game two took place later that day against Long Island University. LIU scored the first goal, but shortly after, Kallmeyer put Bucknell on the board, tying it 1-1. The Bison then fell behind due to a 7-2 Long Island run in the first half. Monaghan successfully tallied the Bisons’ second and only goal of the second quarter.
The Bison were scoreless in the third quarter and went into the fourth quarter trailing 11-2. In the fourth, Kallmeyer and Bella Schraa ’26 were able to score two more goals for the Bison. Unfortunately, this was not enough and Bucknell lost 18-4.
Heading into the second day of play on Sunday, Feb. 4, Bucknell was hoping to turn things around. The Bison fell to Marist 16-11 but were victorious over Siena 13-9.
Against Marist, the Bison had their strongest start to a game this season. They won the opening sprint and Kallmeyer earned herself a pair of back-to-back goals, which helped the team gain an early lead. However, Marist answered back to tie it 2-2.
The first quarter went back and forth, and by the end of the first quarter, Kallmeyer had tallied a hat trick.
From the opening sprint in the second quarter, Schraa extended Bucknell’s lead. Kallmeyer scored two more goals, creating Bucknell’s 7-5 lead heading into halftime.
Tamara Torkos ’27, the Bison’s goalie, showcased exceptional skill for the Bison defense, allowing her team to maintain control of the lead.
In the third quarter, both teams traded on points, ending 11-12. Unfortunately, Marist continued their scoring run in the fourth quarter to extend their lead and finish the game 16-11.
The fourth and final game of the weekend was huge for the Bison. Beating Siena 13-9 marked Bucknell’s first win of the 2024 season.
The Bison led the first quarter 4-1 and maintained their lead for the entire match. Bucknell powered through to a 12-6 lead after the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Bison tallied one more goal to clinch the victory.
Next weekend, the Bison will host the Bucknell Invitational, where they will face off against Wagner and Saint Francis on Saturday, Feb. 10, and Mercyhurst and Villanova on Sunday, Feb. 11.
