Pagano records 19 saves in Howard win
Junior goalkeeper Lisa Pagano recorded 19 saves on 27 shots in the GW women’s lacrosse team’s 15-8 victory over Howard at home Wednesday afternoon. The win ended the Colonials’ three-game losing streak that included an 18-4 loss to Temple and a 15-14 loss to St. Joseph’s last weekend.
“The win was something we needed,” said Heidi Mayer, who added three goals on the day. “We’re a young team that just needed to add a win under our belt.”
Pagano’s stellar 60 minutes in goal complemented an aggressive offensive game for striker Jacqueline Arfaa, who scored four goals and added an assist for a team-high five points. Mayer said Pagano, playing in just her second game, stopped crucial shots.
In addition to goals from Meghan McDonough and Mayer, Arfaa and freshman Jenny Heisler each scored two goals to give GW an early 6-0 lead after just eight minutes. Freshman Jamie Lee added another to put GW up 7-0.
Melissa Bryan scored Howard’s first goal midway through the first half. Mayer and Arfaa each added another, giving GW an 11-1 lead heading into halftime.
Bison leading scorer Chizoba Egbuonu was ejected early in the half after receiving two yellow cards for arguing a play at 21:11. Her absence made a Bison comeback nearly impossible. Still, the Bison mounted a small one near the end of the game, outscoring GW 7-2 in 15 minutes.
Women’s water polo earns fourth seed.
The GW women’s water polo team earned the fourth seed for next weekend’s Southern Championships at Villanova University by finishing second in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Southern Division.
The top four teams from Southerns earn a bid to the following week’s Eastern Championships, where a bid to the NCAA Tournament is awarded to the winner.
Last season GW secured the final qualifying spot behind winner Princeton, second-place finisher Michigan and third-place finisher Indiana.
Blankvoort places seventh at the Navy Invite
Thomas Blankvoort shot a two-day 154 to tie for seventh out of 113 competitors in last weekend’s Navy Spring Invitational. The Colonials placed eighth with a team total 645 (321-324) on a par-71 course. GW senior Bryan Derdenger tied for 30th with a 161 (78-75). University of Minnesota won the tournament with a 605 (301-304).
Women’s crew has winning weekend
Three of GW’s four women’s crews won their respective races in Sunday’s Occoquan Sprints, a day after two sessions of racing against No. 15 Boston University, U.S. Naval Academy and MIT on the Potomac. GW won the Second Varsity 8 and the Second Novice Eight Final and beat out 12 teams including Drexel, George Mason and Mary Washington College to win the Varsity 8 Final (6:48.6) at the sprints. GW also took the Varsity 8 from MIT a day earlier.
