March 19, 2005

ERIE, Pa. - The Maryland women's water polo team went 1-2 on the first day of the Penn State-Behrend Invitational. The Terps defeated Utica, 13-3, but lost to Notre Dame, 10-5, and Ottawa, 9-8.

Maryland (5-12) faced Notre Dame in the first game of the day. The game was tied at 2-2 after the first quarter, but the Fighting Irish pulled away to a 6-3 halftime lead. Notre Dame added another goal in the third quarter, making the score 7-3, and put the Terps away in the final frame, 10-5.

Freshman Kacie Owens (Annapolis, Md.) scored four goals for the Terps, and senior Juli Jordan (Springfield, Va.) scored once. Junior goalie Marissa Corwin (Orinda, Calif.) had 10 blocks and three steals while allowing all 10 Notre Dame goals.

"The story of this game was Notre Dame just outplayed us in every aspect of the game," head coach Carl Salyer said. "They just out-hustled us."

In the next game of the day, the Terps pulled out to an early 8-0 first quarter lead over a young Utica team. The score was 8-2 at halftime, 12-2 after the third period and 13-3 final.

It was a complete team effort for Maryland, as nine different players scored. The Terps were led by senior Elyse Corwin (Orinda, Calif.), who notched a hat trick. Senior Sarah Wahba (Crofton, Md.) and junior Meghan Mulhern (Gaithersburg, Md.) each had two goals, while Jordan, sophomores Orsi Ferenczy (Fot, Hungary), Audrey Lopez (Elkton, Md.), Kerry McFadden (Longwood, Fla.) and Scandia DiSaverio (Wilmington, Del.) and freshman Emily Smoak (Salisbury, Md.) had one goal apiece.

Marissa Corwin played only one quarter in the goal, registering four blocks while not allowing a goal. Sophomore Stacy Glantz (Roslyn, N.Y.) took over for the last three quarters of the game, tallying four blocks and two steals while allowing all three Utica goals.

The Terps had 15 steals in the game from 11 different players, including two each from Glantz, Mulhern, Smoak and sophomore Cathy Popadiuk (Bryan, Texas). Jordan, Ferenczy, Owens, DiSaverio, Elyse Corwin and juniors Allison Kuzniar (St. Charles, Ill.) and Jenna Nader (Canonsburg, Pa.) also had a steal apiece.

"It was a good team effort," Salyer said. "We had a lot of scoring from a lot of girls. Everybody got a lot of playing time. It was a real positive game."

Salyer called the final game of the afternoon "the story of two halves." The Terps fell behind Ottawa early, 5-3 after the first quarter and 9-4 at halftime. But the Maryland defense, behind Glantz in the goal, was able to shut Ottawa out in the second half, while the offense staged a comeback. Down 9-8 with 32 seconds left, the Terps called a time out to set up the final play, but were unable to score the tying goal to send the game into overtime.

Jordan notched a hat trick for the Terps, scoring three goals, while senior Colleen McShane (Chicago, Ill.) had two and Ferenczy, Kuzniar and Owens each had one. McShane also had two steals, while Kuzniar had one.

Glantz registered nine blocks in the goal while giving up all nine Ottawa tallies.

"Stacy put in a real solid performance in the cage," Salyer said.

The Terps return to the pool Sunday to take on Siena at 12:40 p.m. on the final day of the Penn State-Behrend Invitational.

Notre Dame 10, Maryland 5
Notre Dame   2   4   1   3     10
Maryland     2   1   0   2      5
Maryland Goals: Owens (4), Jordan

Maryland 13, Utica 3
Utica      0   2   0   1      3
Maryland   8   0   4   1     13
Maryland Goals: E. Corwin (3), Wahba (2), Mulhern (2), Jordan, Ferenczy, DiSaverio, Lopez, Smoak, McFadden

Ottawa 9, Maryland 8
Ottawa     5   4   0   0     9
Maryland   3   1   2   2     8
Maryland Goals: Jordan (3), McShane (2), Ferenczy, Kuzniar, Owens