O'FALLON, Ill. – McKendree University women's water polo completed its 2022 home schedule here Sunday with a 12-8 win over Mercyhurst University in Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) action on Senior Day at the McKendree Metro Plex Pool.
 
Prior to Sunday's game, the Bearcats honored their two seniors in a pregame ceremony, The Bearcats two seniors in 2022 are attacker Maddy Bolton (Alta Loma, Calif./Los Osos) and attacker Carley Manuel (Lantana, Texas/Guyer).
 
With Sunday's win, the Bearcats improve to 11-4 overall and 2-1 in the WWPA, while Mercyhurst fell to 2-14 overall and 0-3 in the WWPA.
 
Against Mercyhurst, the Bearcats held a 29-25 edge in shots and also led 12-4 in steals against the Lakers. In addition, the Bearcats used an 11-4 scoring flurry in the second and third periods to led McKendree to the victory.
 
Senior center Abigail Burton (Chino, Calif./Chino) paced the Bearcats with seven goals on 16 shots, while junior center/utility Katelyn Rodrigue (Brentwood, Calif./Heritage) added two goals and an assist. Bolton scored a goal and had three assists and senior center defender Danielle Borelli (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach) had two assists and one goal.
 
McKendree opened the scoring midway through the first period on a goal by Borelli, before Mercyhurst tied the game on a goal by Rachel Vietstra with 1:46 left in the period.
 
The Bearcats would score seven goals in the second period to take an 8-4 lead at the half. In the second period, Burton began the period with a goal and she closed the period by scoring three straight goals.
 
McKendree would added four more goals in the third period to lead 12-5 heading into the fourth period. Burton would score three of the four goals in the period for the Bearcats, while junior Nicky Rafalo (Chicago, Ill./Maine South) added the other goal.
 
The Lakers would respond in the fourth period as they scored three goals to cut McKendree's margin to four goals. Ava Gebhardt scored two of Mercyhurst's three goals in the period.
 
Gebhardt, Vietstra and Allie Dombrowski each had two goals for Lakers.
 
Freshman Sydney Kane (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) played all 32 minutes in goal for the Bearcats and made saves, while allowing eight goals and picking up a steal.
 
Bolton led the way with three steals, while Burton and junior utility player Shoshana Scanlon (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) each had two steals in the win.
 
Marley Ramon played all 32 minutes in goal for Mercyhurst and allowed 12 goals and made eight saves.

McKendree Goals: Burton 7, Rodrigue 2, Bolton 1, Borelli 1, Rafalo 1.
McKendree Assists: Bolton 3, Borelli 2, Guzman 1, Manuel 1, Rafalo 1, Rodrigue 1.
McKendree Saves: Kane 10.

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, April 2 as they play two games at the Wittenberg Invitational. At the event, the Bearcats will face Grove City at 10:30 a.m. ET and then meet Wittenberg at 2 p.m. ET.