Squeglia

Women's Water Polo Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon to Face Biola in Opening Round of WWPA Championships

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (9-12, 2-4) at WWPA CHAMPIONSHIPS
DATE/TIME:  FrIday, April 22 to Sunday, April 24, 2022 I All Day
FACILITY/LOCATION:  Fresno State Athletics Aquatics Center I Fresno, Calif.
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LIVE STATS
 

WWPA CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE: 
Friday, April 22 (times EDT)
Game 1 -- #1W CSU East Bay (13-14) vs. #4W Mercyhurst (3-17) – 12:00 noon
Game 2 -- #2E McKendree (15-5) vs. #3W CSU Monterey Bay (2-16) – 1:45 p.m.
Game 3 -- #2W Biola (11-15) vs. #3E GANNON (9-12) – 3:30 p.m.
Game 4 – #1E Salem (15-16) vs. #4W Fresno Pacific (4-21) – 5:15 p.m.
 
Saturday, April 23              
Game 5 – Game 1 Loser vs Game 2 Loser – 12:00 noon
Game 6 -- Game 3 Loser vs Game 4 Loser – 1:45 p.m.
Game 7 – Semifinal 1 -- Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner -- 3:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Semifinal 2 -- Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Winner -- 5:15 p.m.
 
Sunday, April 24
Game 8 – 7th Place -- Game 5 Loser vs Game 6 Loser – 11:00 a.m.
Game 9 – 5th Place -- Game 5 Winner vs Game 6 Winner -- 12:45 p.m.     
Game 10 – 3rd Place -- Game 7 Loser vs Game 8 Loser -- 2:30 p.m.
Game 11 – CHAMPIONSHIP -- Game 7 Winner vs Game 8 Winner -- 4:15 p.m.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's water polo team heads to California to participate in the 2022 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship Tournament this weekend. The eight-team, three-day tournament is taking place in Fresno, Calif. at the Fresno State Athletics Aquatics Center. Competition gets underway on Friday, April 22 with four games.
 
The Golden Knights finished as the third seed in the WWPA Eastern Division with a 9-12 overall record and 2-4 in the conference. Their first-round opponent is Biola, the second seed in the Western Division. The Eagles come in with an 11-15 record and were 4-2 in the conference. The match is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. EDT.  This will mark the first meeting between Gannon and Biola.
 
Friday's winners will move into Saturday's semifinals, while the losers will play with a chance to finish as high as fifth. The championship is set for Sunday at 4:15 p.m. in the east and 1:15 p.m. on the west coast.
 
A year ago a two-bracket system was employed, with Gannon advancing to the semifinals after defeating McKendree 15-13 and losing to Mercyhurst 7-6. The Golden Knights advanced to the semifinals where they dropped an 18-6 decision to Salem. Gannon's top finish in the WWPA Championships came in 2019 when they place fourth.
 
Head coach Shane Unger is wrapping up his fourth season in charge of the Gannon program. His squad showed marked improvement this season, posting a 9-12 record after finishing 4-14 a year ago.
 
The WWPA released its all-conference team on Thursday with two Golden Knights receiving recognition. Nicole Wiemken (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) was accorded second team All-WWPA honors, her third time as an all-conference honoree. She was a first team selection in 2020 and '21 and was named to the WWPA All-Freshman Team in 2019. Wiemken is a two-time ACWPC All-American. She was a first team selection a year ago and in 2020 was named to the second team. In addition, Jade Strickland (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) was voted to the 2022 WWPA All-Freshman Team.
 
Wiemken is leading the Golden Knights in scoring for the second straight year. She has played in 19 contests, compiling a team-leading 61 goals and 81 points, with 20 assists, good for third on the team. The 61 goals rank ninth in a season. She has eclipsed her career highs for goals and points after previously scoring 55 goals for 75 points a year ago. The senior has moved into seventh place in career goals with 178 and is tied for sixth in career assists with 90. She is also in the top ten in career points with 268.
 
Julia Kreidinger (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) has joined Wiemken in the climb up the record charts this season. The redshirt senior is second on the team in goals (41) and leads the team in assists with 26, good for 67 points. She has now moved into 12th place in career goals with 122 and is fifth in career assists with 94.
 
Wiemken and Kreidinger are looking to join a group of five players with 100 goals and 100 assists at Gannon.
 
Strickland adds 36 goals and 24 assists for 60 points. In addition, she leads the team with 43 steals. Beatrice Popescu (Bucharest, Romania/Railway Tech) is fourth on the team in goals with 35, adding a pair of assists for 37 points. Mary Trese Squeglia (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) has 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points, while Kate Baker (Erie, Pa./McDowell) ranks second in assists with 25, adding 10 goals for 35 points. Eight different Golden Knights have scored 10-or-more goals.
 
Freshman Molly Sebunia (Erie, Pa./McDowell) has taken over for Sydney Klakeg (Santa Barbara, Calif./Choate Rosemary Hall) in goal after Klakeg was hurt, and started the last nine contests. She has a 12.25 GAA with 88 saves in 358 minutes. Klakeg started the first 12 contests and has 78 saves with an 11.18 GAA. The junior started 16 contests last year, finishing with 93 saves and 14.04 GAA.
 
Biola showcases four players who earned All-WWPA honors. Hanna Jordan was accorded first team honors while contributing 47 goals and 11 assists for 57 points, one of five players with 50-or-more points. Leading scorer Kourtney Pyle had 55 goals and 13 assists for 68 points. She was a second-team selection, as was Rachel Spadt (41 goals-12assists-53 points). Veralie Naranjo was selected the Newcomer of the Year. The freshman is second on the team with 66 points, recording 47 goals and 19 assists.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Kate Baker

#11 Kate Baker

2M
Sophomore
Sydney Klakeg

#1 Sydney Klakeg

G
Sophomore
Julia Kreidinger

#4 Julia Kreidinger

UTIL
Senior
Occupational Therapy
Mary Trese Squeglia

#14 Mary Trese Squeglia

UTIL/2M
Junior
Nicole Wiemken

#18 Nicole Wiemken

UTIL/2D
Junior
Chemistry
Beatrice Popescu

#19 Beatrice Popescu

2M
5' 6"
Junior
Criminal Justice
Molly Sebunia

#1A Molly Sebunia

G
Freshman
Jade Strickland

#2 Jade Strickland

D
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kate Baker

#11 Kate Baker

Sophomore
2M
Sydney Klakeg

#1 Sydney Klakeg

Sophomore
G
Julia Kreidinger

#4 Julia Kreidinger

Senior
Occupational Therapy
UTIL
Mary Trese Squeglia

#14 Mary Trese Squeglia

Junior
UTIL/2M
Nicole Wiemken

#18 Nicole Wiemken

Junior
Chemistry
UTIL/2D
Beatrice Popescu

#19 Beatrice Popescu

5' 6"
Junior
Criminal Justice
2M
Molly Sebunia

#1A Molly Sebunia

Freshman
G
Jade Strickland

#2 Jade Strickland

Freshman
D