ERIE, PA – St. Francis Brooklyn women's water polo completed action at the Mercyhurst Invitational Sunday afternoon, taking down the tournament hosts and Bucknell to improve to 7-0 on the season. The victory over Bucknell was the team's first in program history. The Terriers defeated Mercyhurst for the second time this season, outscoring the Lakers 15-9 before defeating the Bison 16-14.
St. Francis Brooklyn 15, Mercyhurst 9
The Terriers used a hot start to carry themselves to victory over Mercyhurst. Scoring the first five goals, they carried a shutout into the second quarter. Despite giving up two goals in the second, they carried a 7-2 lead into the half.
The remainder of the contest went back-and-forth but the early advantage proved to be more than enough breathing room. After three quarters of play, the lead was at seven goals at 13-6. Despite being outscored 3-2 in the final frame, the Terriers walked away with a 15-9 win and a second victory in as many chances against Mercyhurst in 2023.
Sydney DeVroedt scored six times to lead the offense followed by a three-goal performance by Sofia Kolovou. DeVroedt also found success facilitating, recording three assists. Anja Miskovic, Olga Antoniadi, Thea Simpson, Anja Pavlin, Hanna Kruppi and Tate Renata all scored a goal apiece.
MK McKendry and Olivia Gallego Saez split time in goal, making three and eight saves respectively. McKendry added two steals.
St. Francis Brooklyn 16, Bucknell 14
In a battle with the Bison, the Terriers opened on the wrong side of the scoreboard, trailing 3-2 after the first quarter. They were able to flip the script in the second, outscoring Bucknell 5-3 to lead 7-6 at the break.
The score would remain tight throughout the second half of play, but St. Francis Brooklyn was able to create slightly more separation heading into the fourth quarter at 13-10. Bucknell chipped away in the fourth, but the Terriers maintained an edge to pick up the 16-14 win.
DeVroedt continued her offensive prowess, scoring seven of the team's 16 goals. She now has 39 goals in just seven games. She had 26 on the weekend. The sophomore added five assists, meaning she had a hand in 75% of the team's goals for the contest. Anja Miskovic also had four goals.
Defensively, McKendry turned in one of her top performances of the young season, recording 13 saves. She added an assist and three steals. DeVroedt had a team-high five steals.
Up Next
The Terriers will face off with Chapman, Princeton and Villanova next weekend at the Princeton Invitational, beginning with Chapman on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
