Scoreboard

Sam Young

Women's Water Polo 4/30/2023 10:48:00 AM Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Finishes Eighth at WWPA Championships

Strickland earns spot on WWPA All-Tournament Team

O'FALLON, Ill. – The Gannon women's water polo team saw its 2023 season come to a heart-breaking conclusion on Sunday morning in the seventh-place game at the WWPA Championships. Salem's Taeghen Hack scored on a penalty shot with 19 seconds remaining to hand the Golden Knights a 7-6 defeat. McKendree is hosting the WWPA Championships at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.

The tight match saw just two leads of two goals, both by Gannon at 3-1 and 4-2. The teams were tied four times, the last at 6-6 when Salem scored with just under four minutes to play. Gannon came in as the number four seed from the Eastern Division while Salem was the second seed. the performance was particularly impressive for the Golden Knights after previously losing by scores of 14-9 and 14-7 to the Tigers.

Neither team would score again until Gannon was whistled for an exclusion with 23 seconds remaining. Hack was able to find the back of the net on the ensuing penalty shot for the winning goal with 19 seconds left. Gannon had one last chance but turned the ball over in the final seconds to end the year at 6-19.

Gannon led 2-1 after one quarter on goals by Molly Fehr (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) and Madeline Slater (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria). Jade Strickland (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) assisted on the first goal and Kate Baker (Erie, Pa./McDowell) on the second. Strickland took a feed from Baker and scored with 5:02 left in the second quarter to give Gannon a 3-1 lead.

Salem cut the lead to 3-2 less than a minute later, but Sydney McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) gave the Golden Knights a 4-2 lead at the 3:27 mark on the power play, assisted by Strickland. Salem would add a goal later in the half to give Gannon a 4-3 lead at the half.

The Tigers scored just over two minutes into the third quarter to knot the match at 4-4 and took their first lead at 5-4 on a late power play goal. Maddie Clark (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) countered with a power play goal to send the two teams into the fourth quarter tied at 5-5.

Gannon regained the lead at 6-5 with 4:57 remaining on Slater's second goal of the contest, assisted by McGarry.

Salem held a slight 21-20 advantage in shots, with Gannon finishing at a .300 shooting percentage and Salem at.333. The Golden Knights were 3-for-9 on the power play and held the Tigers to just 1-of-12.

Slater led Gannon with two goals, while Strickland had a goal and two assists and McGarry a goal and an assist. Fehr and Clark had one goal and Baker finished with a pair of assists. Strickland earned a spot on the WWPA All-Tournament Second Team after contributing six goals and five assists in the three games.

Senior Sydney Klakeg (Santa Barbara, Calif./Choate Rosemary Hall) went the entire way in goal and turned in an outstanding effort in her final match. She finished with six saves.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Kate Baker: D/2D; Senior

#19 Maddie Clark: D; Redshirt Senior

#1 Sydney Klakeg: G; Senior

#10 Sydney McGarry: D; Sophomore

#15 Madeline Slater: D; Junior

#2 Jade Strickland: D; Sophomore

#12 Molly Fehr: UTIL/2M; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Kate Baker
: Senior
: D/2D

#19 Maddie Clark
: Redshirt Senior
: D

#1 Sydney Klakeg
: Senior
: G

#10 Sydney McGarry
: Sophomore
: D

#15 Madeline Slater
: Junior
: D

#2 Jade Strickland
: Sophomore
: D

#12 Molly Fehr
: Freshman
: UTIL/2M