THE RUNDOWN
Final Scores: Gannon 15, Penn State Behrend 4 | Austin College 11, Gannon 10
Records: Gannon (2-7) | PSB (3-3) | AC (2-2)
Location: Junker Center | Erie, Pa.
The Short Story: The Gannon women's water polo team got a balanced effort to knock off host Penn State Behrend in the opener, and fell in a tight battle against Austin College in the nightcap to finish of its day of action.
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Three goals out of the gate from Nicole Wiemken (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon), Campbell Ruh (Walnut, Calif./Lutheran High School of Orange County) and Julia Kreidinger (Erie, Pa./Villia Maria) gave Gannon a lead it would not give up in the opener against Behrend. The Lions got on the board before the end of the first, but a flurry of three scores in the final two minutes of the half after a Behrend goal gave the Golden Knights a 9-2 advantage at halftime.
- The scoring in threes continued for the Knights, who netted three in less than three minutes in the third, and another three straight in the fourth to pull away for the win.
- A defensive struggle for the first four minutes, Gannon responded to the first goal of the game against Austin College on a penalty shot with four straight to close the first period. Lauren Westphal (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza High) made it a 5-2 lead midway through the second, and finishes from Mary Trese Squeglia (Erie, Pa./) and Wiemken helped Gannon hold a 7-5 lead at the break.
- Libby Tirak's (Erie, Pa./Villia Maria) goal at the 6:17 mark of the third put the Knights back in front by two, but four of the next five goals were in Austin's favor to flip the lead for the first time since Gannon went ahead in the first. Wiemken scored to tie it at 10 with five minutes left, but a Kangaroo goal with 2:15 remaining held up as Austin snuck away with the win.
GAME NOTES
- Eight different Knights scored across the two games, and no individual put up more than three in a game.
- Wiemken posted three goals in both contests, while also totaling four assists on the day to go with three steals and four drawn exclusions. The junior has 88 goals in her career, putting her onto the Gannon career leaderboard in 17th.
- Ruh tallied five assists on the day, moving the senior to 95 helpers in her career, a mark that puts her fourth all-time in program history.
- Tirak and Kreidinger each put up four goals across the day, with Beatrice Popescu (Bucharest, Romania/Railway Tech) adding three total.
UP NEXT
- Gannon will take next weekend off before staying in town once again for a WWPA Weekend hosted at the Hallman Aquatics Center April 10-11.
