With the Smith Swim Center still closed while the University assesses the roof's structural problems, the women's water polo team traveled to Harvard for its scheduled home game on Saturday and lost to No. 13 Hartwick College, 13-7. Though the 20th-ranked Bears held a 7-4 lead with under two minutes remaining in the third period, Brown allowed nine unanswered goals to finish the game.
The loss was Bruno's first of the season. Previously, the team went 6-0 at the season-opening Ivy Tournament on Feb. 10 and 11.
The Bears faced their first Top 20 opponent of the season in Saturday's game. For most of the game, Brown appeared to be up to the challenge. Brown jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter and led 4-2 at the end of the second quarter. In the third quarter, Brown opened up a three-goal advantage at 7-4, but Hartwick responded forcefully.
The Hawks' Kirsten Hudson scored with 1:38 remaining in the period, and then again with six seconds left in the session to cut Bruno's lead to 7-6 heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Hartwick ran away with the victory, erupting for six goals in the final 6:06. The Hawks tied the game with a goal with 6:06 left, and Megan Dahl-Smith put them ahead just 51 seconds later with the first of her two goals. Hartwick never looked back, scoring five more times to finish off the contest with a convincing 13-7 victory.
"Having a lead late in the game against a highly ranked team is something that is fairly new for us," said Head Coach Jason Gall. "I think we were a little too worried about protecting the lead instead of building on it. Hartwick turned up the intensity, and we became less aggressive on offense."
The Bears received significant contributions from a mix of players, both veterans and underclassmen. Sarah Glick '10 led the team with three goals, and Lauren Presant '10 and Paige Lansing '07 added two goals apiece.
"Sarah Glick and Lauren Presant have raised the level of intensity of our team," Gall said. "They see plays develop and play with a level of intensity that allows them to make game-changing plays. Their teammates have seen this, and in turn everyone is playing with more intensity. For two freshmen to be making this type of impact is very impressive."
Gall also lauded the play of goalkeeper Stephanie Laing '10. She blocked 11 shots, including a five-meter penalty shot, and assisted on two goals.
"The blocks that Stephanie made allowed us to be more aggressive and get open on the counterattack," Gall said. "Having the confidence to know that Stephanie is going to block most shots allows us to take more chances on the defensive end, which results in goals for us on the offensive end."
The Bears' next competition comes this weekend, when they will return to Cambridge for the ECAC Championships. The Bears are currently ranked behind only Princeton in the ECAC. The field contains other talented teams such as Bucknell University, Harvard and the University of Maryland at College Park. Brown has already claimed two wins against ECAC teams, having defeated Wagner College 10-8 and Harvard 11-4, both at the Ivy Tournament.
To come away with the ECAC title, the Bears will need to duplicate the defensive prowess they showed in the Ivy Tournament and in the first three quarters of Saturday's game against Hartwick. They will also need to avoid the letdown suffered at the end of Saturday's contest.
"We played three quarters of great water polo against Hartwick, and we will continue to work hard this week on conditioning and tightening up our offensive strategies," said co-captain Elizabeth Balassone '07. "There is no doubt that we have a great opportunity for a first place finish at ECACs."
