The McKendree University women's water polo program kicked off their season this weekend with games in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Conference. The Bearcats split their four games 2-2.
Game 1 Highlights
The Bearcats pushed past Mercyhurst University 16-10 in their first game on Saturday afternoon.
Seven different Bearcats made their mark on the scoresheet, led by
Maddy Bolton (Alta Loma, CA/Los Osos) with five.
Emily Westlove (Naperville, IL/Naperville Central) followed closely behind with four goals. Teammates
Shoshana Scanlon (Orlando, FL/Olympia) and
Abigail Burton (Chino, CA/Chino) each scored two.
Carley Manuel (Lantana, TX/Guyer),
Alaina Johnson (Mason, OH/William Mason), and
Courtney Smith () each registered one goal for McKendree.
In the cage, senior
Isabella Strimling (Brentwood, CA/Heritage) made 14/24 saves, holding the Lakers to 10 goals.
Game 2 Highlights
McKendree wrapped up Saturday evening game day with a close win over Gannon University 12-9.
Westlove lead the team in scoring five goals, while Bolton contributed three. Meanwhile Scanlon, Burton,
Samantha Reich (/), and
Delaney Hall (Napoleon, OH/Napoleon) each scored once.
Strimling made 12 out of 21 saves during the close game against the Knights.
Game 3 Highlights
The Bearcats were defeated 17-9 by Salem University in the Sunday morning game.
Katelyn Rodrigue (Brentwood, CA/Heritage) led the scoresheet with three goals. Scanlon, Westlove, Bolton, Johnson, and Smith each had one marker on the score sheet.
Strimling stopped 7 out of 24 shots on goal.
Game 4 Highlights
McKendree fell to La Salle University 16-10 in their last game of the weekend.
For the second game in a row, Rodrigue led the Bearcat's scoring with three markers. Westlove and Bolton followed closely behind with two each. Three players registered one goal for McKendree:
Alivia Garcia (Buena Park, CA/Kennedy), Manuel, and Smith.
In the cage, Strimling blocked 12/28 shots.
Next up for McKendree will be a weekend game series in Erie, PA on April 10th & 11th.
