Bucknell Runs Winning Streak to 8; Bison Down Maryland & George Washington

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior captain Aubrey Rowe (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) totaled nine goals, two assists and four steals in two games as the Bucknell women's water polo team defeated George Washington (13-9) and No. 20 Maryland (15-13 OT) in a pair of league games Saturday, April 4 at Kinney Natatorium. The two wins helped the Bison improve to 5-1 in CWPA Southern Division play and extended their winning streak to eight games, one shy of the program record.

Bucknell (18-11, 5-1 CWPA Southern Division) is now one-half game ahead of Maryland for first place in the conference standings. The Terps, who are 4-1 in league play, wrap up their conference schedule Sunday against Princeton. Bucknell and Maryland split their regular-season series.

Rowe, who has 14 goals in three games this weekend, posted a team-high four goals in the opener against George Washington.  Kandis Canonica (Burlingame, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) helped shoulder the offensive load with three goals and six assists. The nine points equaled her career high and the most by a Bison this year, while the six assists matched her program record she has now achieved three times. With nine assists in the two games Saturday, Canonica is two shy of equaling her own single-season mark of 61. Additionally, she registered 15 points on Saturday, giving her 113 this year to break her own single-season record in that category.

The Bison actually trailed 6-4 in the second quarter to the Colonials, a team they have now defeated 18 straight times. They proceeded to score seven of the next eight goals in a span of less than seven minutes to take a comfortable 11-7 advantage.  Shana Palencia's (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) lone goal of the contest with just over one minute remaining in the fourth gave Bucknell its largest lead of the game at 13-8.

Valentina Rozas (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho), who had scored just one goal in the last two games, netted three goals to combine with Rowe and Canonica on 10 of Bucknell's 13 goals.

Alison Carter (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) registered nine saves against George Washington and 13 more against Maryland, boosting her season total to a team-high 145.

In that win against Maryland, Bucknell reversed roles as it jumped out to a 5-1 lead before the Terps netted a goal in the final minute of the first half. Maryland then went on a 7-3 run to take its first lead of the game at 9-8 early in the fourth quarter.

The Terps still led 11-10 entering the final minute of regulation when Bucknell earned an ejection that set up a six-on-five situation. Palencia, who had two goals and three assists in the contest, tallied the equalizing goal with 54 seconds on the clock.

After a pair of saves by Carter, Bucknell had a final chance to win the game on its final possession, but a deflected pass during a six-on-five situation limited the Bison to a desperation attempt that went wide of the goal.

In the first of two three-minute overtime periods, Bucknell excelled, netting four goals less than 90 seconds apart to take a 15-12 lead. Haley Prickett (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar), who had three goals and three assists in the game, registered two of her goals during that span. She had also assisted on Palencia's game-tying score late in regulation.

Rowe totaled five goals in the contest that featured 21 goals after halftime. She now has 207 career goals to rank second in program history. She also now has 336 career points, just 15 shy of the program standard.

The win over the Terps was the first for the Bison over a ranked opponent this year. With two wins when scoring double figures on Saturday, Bucknell has now won 40 consecutive games when netting at least 10 goals.

Release courtesy Bucknell Athletic Communications