No. 20 Princeton University Stops George Washington University 14-5 to Reach 2011 CWPA Eastern Championship Fifth Place Game

Grace du Pont makes a save versus George Washington

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Sarah Hutchison (Sr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) scored four times to earn Player of the Game honors in leading No. 20-ranked Princeton University to a 14-5 victory over George Washington University.  The victory punches the Tigers' ticket to the 2011 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women's Eastern Championship fifth place game at Indiana University's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

Princeton wasted no time in putting the game away as the Tigers ran out to a 4-0 lead in the first period and did not allow the Colonials to close to less than three goals the rest of the way.

The victory marks the Tigers third of the year over George Washington and the most goals the team posted and allowed versus the Washington D.C. institution as Princeton previously defeated the Colonials 9-4 and 11-4 during regular season competition.

Molly McBee (Fr., Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes) started the scoring for the Black & Orange with a man-up goal 44 seconds into the game to stake the Tigers to a lead they would not relinquish.

Following a catch and shoot blast by Katie Rigler (Fr., Fullerton, Calif./Rosary) at 3:44, Hutchison took over the game registering back-to-back even-strength scores at 3:07 and 55 seconds to make it a 4-0 contest through eight minutes of play.

Saranna Soroka (So., Redondo Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) added to the spread to open the second period as she found the back of the net on a man-up chance at 5:00 to make it 5-0.

The teams traded goals for the remainder of the half as Adina Zepfel (Fr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) broke up Princeton's shutout bid with a marker at 4:02.  Cayley Bowles (Jr., Palo Alto, Calif./Menlo School) returned the lead to five with a tally off an exclusion chance at 3:32, but the Colonials trimmed the deficit back to 6-3 with consecutive strikes in less than 30 seconds by Allison Peotter (Jr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) and Zepfel at 2:29 and 2:03, respectively.

Prior to halftime Princeton regained some of the insurance it lost in the preceeding moments as Audrey Zak (Jr., Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad) rifled a five-meter penalty shot past GW goalie Charlotte Schou (Sr., Miami, Fla./Miami Country Day) to set the scoreboard at 7-3 going into intermission.

George Washington mowed its deficit down to three goals once again to open the second half as Katherine Berry (Fr., Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) uncorked a shot that eluded Princeton backup goalie Grace du Pont (Jr., Tarrytown, N.Y./Phillips Exeter Academy) at the 7:35 mark.

Princeton rebuilt the lead better than it was before with four straight markers by Brittany Zwirner (So., Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill), Hutchison, Lauren Brunner (Sr., Sacramento, Calif./St. Francis) and Sierra Schelegle (Sr., Davis, Calif./Davis) at 5:49, 1:43, 48 seconds and 10 seconds to take an 11-4 lead and terminate George Washington's hopes of a comeback.

The run continued to open the fourth period as Rigler converted on a five-meter penalty shot (4:33), Hutchison tossed in her fourth goal of the afternoon (2:57) and Julie Phillips (Sr., Auckland, New Zealand/St. Cuthbert's College) contributed her first damage of the tournament to finish out the Tigers' 7-0 scoring deluge and hold a 14-4 lead with less than two minutes to play.

Rachael Bentley (Fr., Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) concluded the game by notching the 19 goal of the contest with six seconds to go to set the margin of victory at nine.

For Princeton, du Pont recorded eight saves in relief of starting and wining goalie Kristen Ward (Jr., Sacramento, Calif./St. Francis) as the duo combined for 11 stops as the Tigers' last line of defense.  On the other end of the pool, Schou stopped five shots in taking the loss.

George Washington will next be in action at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 1 versus the loser of another second round game featuring Harvard University and Bucknell Universitiy.  Princeton will face the victor of the Crimson-Bison game at noon on Sunday as the Tigers will have a chance to equal their fifth place seed in the fifth place game of the tournament.

Princeton Goals: Sarah Hutchison (4); Katie Rigler (2); Brittany Zwirner; Cayley Bowles; Sierra Scelegle; Julie Phillips; Audrey Zak; Lauren Brunner; Molly McBee; Saranna Soroka

GW Goals: Adina Zepfel (2); Katherine Berry; Rachael Bentley; Allison Peottter

Saves: Princeton - Kristen Ward (3, 16 minutes), Grace du Pont (8, 16 minutes) ; GW - Charlotte Schou (5)

Exclusions: Princeton - 10 ; GW - 9

Advantage Opportunities:  Princeton - X-for-X ; GW - X-for-X

Sprints: Princeton - 1-for-4 ; GW - 3-for-4

Cards: None

Officials: Eddie Ajuz, Humberto Navarro

George Washington University head coach Scott Reed draws up a play versus Princeton University