Utica, Carthage Knock Off Women's Water Polo

KENOSHA, Wisc. – The Penn State Behrend women's water polo team fell to Utica and Carthage on Friday at the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Tournament II.  The Pioneers defeated Behrend 11-6 in the third game of the day before the Lady Reds topped the Lions, 20-2.

In Behrend's opening game of the tournament, the Lions were outscored 3-0 in the second quarter which proved to be the difference-maker.  Behrend was only behind by one after the opening quarter, but trailed by four at the break.  The Lions were once again outscored by just one in the third quarter and held Utica scoreless in the fourth, but could not muster up enough offense to catch the Pioneers.

MaryEllen Spooner (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) led the offense with three goals.  Paula Rusca (Chicago, IL/Whitney Young) netted two and dished out two assists.  Mary Therese Causgrove (Erie, PA/McDowell) scored one for Behrend to go with two assists.  Elizabeth Causgrove (Erie, PA/McDowell) made 11 saves in net, including six in the fourth quarter to keep Utica off the board.  Elizabeth Causgrove, Mary Therese Causgrove, and Alex Isaacson (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) all recorded four steals.

In game two, the Lions were overmatched by Carthage's high-power offense.  The Lady Reds jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead and put seven more unanswered goals on the board in the third.  Spooner netted Behrend's only two goals of the contest in the fourth quarter with Mary Therese Causgrove assisting on both.

Elizabeth Causgrove made four saves between the pipes and tallied a team-high eight steals.

The Lions will be back in the water tomorrow at 11 a.m. to face Macalester and 3 p.m. against Connecticut College.  Both games will take place at Carthage College's Koenitzer Aquatic Center.