There was some nail-biting in the final quarter, but Lindenwood outlasted Grand Valley State University 11-10 Sunday afternoon in the Midwest Division Playoffs at Rolf's Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana.
In a game that was close throughout, the Lions built a 3-2 advantage after the first quarter and held the same margin at halftime 5-4. By the end of the third, Lindenwood was leading by two at 8-6, but the Lakers still had some fight and scored four markers in the final seven minutes. The Lions were able to find the back of the cage three times to claim the win.
Abby VerMeer led the Lindenwood offense with six goals, followed by
Isabella Boccia with three, and
Naomi Sanders with one. Six players earned assists led by
Hanna Muller with two.
Paige Miller, Sanders,
Sydney Walsh, Niki Howe, and
Betsy Zanocco each earned one assist. On defense, Zanocco had five steals, followed by Muller with four. Boccia and Sanders each had three, Howe two, and
Harmony Moran, Walsh, and VerMeer each had one. Zonocco made six saves to earn the win in the cage.
The Lions advanced to the final with a 9-5 victory over Illinois State on Saturday. Lindenwood built a 1-0 lead after the first quarter and started to pull away in the second, extending the advantage to 5-2. The Lions held the Redbirds scoreless in the third while scoring two to make it 7-2. Illinois State won the fourth, but the deficit was too much.
Boccia and Sanders paced the offense with three goals each. Muller had two and
Emily Kini scored once. Boccia also led the way in assists with two, while Sanders, Muller, and Howe each had one. Lindenwood was strong on defense with both Zanocco and Miller getting seven steals. Sanders and Kini each had three, and Boccia, Muller, Howe, and
Brooke Teson each had one. Zanocco made eight saves in the game.
Earlier in the day on Saturday, the Lions earned a 5-0 forfeit from Miami (Ohio).
With the three wins, Lindenwood completed a perfect 11-0 season in the Midwest Division and earned the automatic berth in the 2019 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women's Collegiate Club Championship May 3-5. At 13-7 overall, the Lions will be the fourth seed at the tournament, which takes place at Rolf's Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana.
