The Varsity Blues women's water polo team traveled to Boston to play in the Harvard Invitational for its final weekend of games. March 2-3.
The squad ended its entire year of NCWP, NCAA and exhibition club games with a 20-18 record. Included in the totals was a sixth consecutive perfect season/championship in Canadian women's collegiate play. Additionally, the Blues played 20 NCAA opponents with eight of them ranked in the Top 25.
Toronto 7, Gannon 6
The Blues hit the water early Saturday morning to face off against the Gannon University Golden Knights and came away with a narrow 7-6 victory to open the Harvard Invitational.
The Blues jumped in front on their very first attack on a long distance shot from junior Rhianna Wood (Calgary). However, the Golden Knights answered back with two goals to take a mid-quarter 2-1 lead. The Blues then
tied things up just before the end of the first quarter on a strong turn in the center by freshman Sarah Wentling (Mohnton, Pennsylvania).
In the second quarter, Toronto's defence tightened up behind the strong goaltending of junior Rachael Jaffe (Irvine, California) and shut out Gannon, while the offence duplicated its first quarter total to give the Blues a 4-2 halftime lead.
After the teams changed ends, the Blues made it four unanswered goals to go up 5-2 before the Golden Knights struck for two power play goals to tighten things up. Wentling then drew an exclusion and converted the quick pass to restore the two-goal lead entering the final frame.
Another Blues exclusion checking the Gannon center forward resulted in another Golden Knights power play goal and the lead was again cut to one. But Wentling scored from the center to complete her hat trick and restore the two goal cushion before the Blues conceded a late goal.
Wentling with her three goals led all scorers, while Wood added a pair. Freshmen Deena Charles (Langley, B.C.) and Katie Smith (Chestermere, Alberta) each scored once. Jaffe rang up 11 saves in the winning effort.
Iona 9, Toronto 5
The second game of the day reproduced a recent trend for the Blues as the team quickly fell behind 2-0. Though the Blues did get on the scoreboard in the second quarter, the defence again gave up two goals to leave Toronto trailing 4-1 at the half. A completely ineffective outside shooting game left the Blues unable to break the right side zone that the Gaels threw at them.
The third quarter did see two goals from the Blues attack but the defence was slow to read several situations resulting in four goals against and a 8-3 deficit entering the final quarter of play.
The Blues did win the final period, 2-1, but ultimately succumbed 9-5.
Freshman Allie Vas (Yorba Linda,California) paced the Blues attack with a hat trick. Sophomore center forward Caitlyn Tiedje (Okotoks, Alberta) added a single. Senior co-captain Daniela Freeman (Menifee,California) who
had to stop playing goalie this year due to a knee injury, came off the bench in the final quarter to score on a lob shot to complete the scoring.
#24 Bucknell 13, Toronto 3
The Blues knew they were in for a long day when standout junior goalie Rachael Jaffe (Irvine, California) was held out for precautionary reasons due to upper body tightness. Sophomore Amber Masse (San Jose, California)
was called in on an emergency basis.
Toronto quickly fell behind 3-1 in the first quarter and trailed 5-2 at the half. The Bison then scored four unanswered goals in the third quarter to blow the game open.
Junior Rhianna Wood (Calgary) scored all three Blues goals.
#18 Princeton vs Toronto
The Blues toughest game of the weekend was canceled due to a weather warning in the Boston-New York area for a winter storm and the Tigers looking at a six to seven hour bus ride if conditions were normal. Both coaches agreed it was in the best interests of both teams to try and avoid the storm.
