Elise Molnar

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Devan Kennifer (Jr., Monterey, Calif./Santa Catalina) recorded a third period hat-trick to earn Player of the Game laurels and account for most of Harvard University's margin of victory as the Crimson topped Bucknell University 13-8 to earn a berth in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship fifth place game at Indiana University's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

The Crimson never trailed and used a 6-3 scoring advantage in the third period behind Kennifer's trio of markers to turn a 5-4 advantage into a 11-7 lead with eight minutes to play.

Tied 2-2 with 4:55 remaining in the first period, Harvard regained the lead and expanded the margin to a pair of tallies as Shayna Price (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) cashed in on a five-meter penalty shot at 4:37 and Lizzie Abbott (Jr., Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) tossed in an even-strength score at 4:22 to make it 4-2.

Bucknell sliced the lead to one by the end of the second period as Stephanie Ovalle (Fr., Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) contributed a man-up goal at 6:02 and Julianne Valdes (Fr., Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) whipped home a natural goal with 40 seconds on the clock, while Harvard's Shannon Purcell (Jr., Danville, Calif./Monte Vista) registered an even-strength tally of her own for a 5-4 Crimson lead at intermission.

The Bison were able to knot the score at 5-5 52 seconds into the third period with a shot-and-score by Haley Prickett (Sr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar), but Harvard engineered a three-goal outburst to retake the lead and add some cushion.

Monica Zdrojewski (Jr., Laguna Niguel, Calif./Dana Hills) ignited the run with a man-up goal at 6:46, before Kennifer and Purcell tacked on even-strength scores at 6:17 and 5:44 to build the lead to 8-5.

Kandis Canonica (Sr., Burlingame, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) tossed in a marker to move the Bison back to within two at 8-6 with 4:59 left in the period, but Kennifer lobbed balls into the cage at 4:39 and 3:47 before Elise Molnar (So., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) finished a man-up opportunity at 1:51 to make it an 11-6 game.

Prickett subtracted a point off the margin prior to the conclusion of the third period with a scoring shot at 1:23, but the Crimson regained the quintet margin 13 seconds into the fourth period with a rising liner by Molnar to make it 12-7

The squads exchanged tosses on man-up chances to conclude the game as the Crimson knocked off Bucknell for the second time this season following a 16-13 win during the regular season.

Harvard will conclude the tournament at noon on Sunday, May 1 against No. 20-nationally ranked in the fifth place contest, while the Bison will meet George Washington University at 10:30 a.m. for seventh place.

Harvard Goals: Devan Kennifer (3); Elise Molnar (2); Monica Zdrojewski (2); Shannon Purcell (2); Aisha Price (2); Lizzie Abbott; Shayna Price

Bucknell Goals: Julianne Valdes (3); Haley Prickett (2); Shannon Carroll; Stephanie Ovalle; Kandis Canonica

Saves: Harvard - Laurel McCarthy (7) ; Bucknell - Brittany Connell (6)

Exclusions: Harvard - 8 ; Bucknell - 11

Advantage Opportunities:  Harvard - 5-for-11 ; Bucknell - 3-for-8

Sprints: Harvard - 3-for-4 ; Bucknell - 1-for-4

Cards: None

Officials: Mark Koganov, Scott Krasinski 

Brittany Connell makes a save for Bucknell University versus Harvard University