ERIE, Pennsylvania – With a short hiatus mid-season to catch their collective breath, the Salem women’s water polo team headed up to Erie, Pennsylvania this weekend for the second leg of WWPA conference play against McKendree, Gannon, and Mercyhurst. Salem played well throughout the two days of competition to net 2 wins. All 3 contests played out as follows:
Salem 13, McKendree 9
For Game 1, the Tigers were looking to avenge a road loss to the Bearcats just two weeks ago. It was a back and forth game early on with neither team truly taking control. Salem then edged out in front with a big 4 goal 2nd period to make it 6-5 at half. After the break, Salem dropped in 4 more in the 3rd to push their advantage up to 10-6 heading into the final frame. The Tigers protected the lead and added 3 more goals in the process to wrap up an impressive 13-9 win over the Bearcats. The Tigers got the bulk of their scoring from Iris Oudshoorn and Faith Stewart, who each had 4 goals. Taeghen Hack led the team in overall scoring with 2 goals and 3 assists. In goal, Emily Low notched 4 saves and 4 steals in the contest.
Mercyhurst 15, Salem 14
For Game 2, Salem had a tough matchup against one of the de facto home teams in the Mercyhurst Lakers. Much like Game 1, neither team truly found an edge in the first quarter, and it would be the Lakers who opened up the contest with 6 goals in the 2nd period to Salem’s 4. After the half, Salem knew it needed to mount a furious comeback bid to keep pace with the Lakers. They found that big rally with 5 goals in the 4th, but it was not quite enough to unseat the Lakers. Therefore, Salem fell by a tough final score of 15-14. Statistically, there were some bright spots for the Tigers. Taeghen Hack ran the Tigers’ offensive game plan effectively by setting up her teammates for an impressive 5 assists in tandem with 2 goals of her own. Emma Donnelly was just behind her with 5 goals and an assist as well. Between the pipes, Emily Low added 9 saves to her total on the season.
Salem 13, Gannon 10
For the final Salem contest of the weekend, Salem faced off with Gannon. It was a back and forth contest the whole way with the Golden Knights. Salem drew first blood with a strong 4 goal first quarter that Gannon had no answers for initially. Gannon responded eventually in the 2nd, but the Tigers held a 6-4 advantage going into the break thanks to their strong play in the opening frame. After the intermission, Salem opened well again with 5 goals in the 3rd, and rode out the Gannon comeback attempt in the 4th to head home with their heads held high and a well-earned 13-10 win. Statistically, it was the usual suspects when it came to Salem’s offensive output. Taeghen Hack accounted for 8 total points with 5 goals and 3 assists, and then Emma Donnelly added 5 points of her own with 3 goals and 2 assists. Defensively, Salem got a 6 save performance from Emily Low in goal.
These contests conclude regular season WWPA play for Salem, and will also be Salem’s final road contests of the regular season. The Tigers will wrap up the 2024 slate at home with a pair of contests at The Bridge Sports Complex. First, they take on Washington and Jefferson at 10:30 AM on Sunday, April 14th, and then they play host to Saint Francis on April 20th.