Bucknell University's Heather Smith

PROVIDENCE, RI  -- Ariel Frankeny (Sr., Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley) scored twice to lead six Bison and earn Player of the Game honors as No. 8 seed Bucknell University used 3-2 scoring advantages in the first and third periods to overcome No. 9 seed George Washington University 9-7 in the opening game of the 2012 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship hosted by Brown University.

The victory advances the Bison (15-21, 3-5 CWPA Southern Division) to a 3:40 p.m. meeting versus No. 1 seed, Western Division champion and No. 10-natioanlly ranked University of Michigan with a spot in the tournament semifinals on Saturday night at stake. 

Facing Southern Division nemesis George Washington (10-15, 2-6 CWPA Southern Division) for the fifth time after sweeping the regular season and tournament championship meetings with a quartet of wins (16-8 W, 14-5 W, 14-12 W, 17-8 W), Southern Division fourth-place finisher Bucknell needed all six of its scorers to outlast an invigorated Colonials' squad that placed fifth at the division championship.

Bucknell never trailed in the game as Hallie Kennan (Sr., Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) connected on a shot with 6:22 remaining in the first period.  GW responded over a minute later as Megan Walker (Sr., San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) rifled home a blast at the 5:20 mark.

The teams continued to trade blows as Frankeny returned the lead to the Bison by converting on a man-up chance at 3:38, but Megan Brolley (So., Delray Beach, Fla./Saint Andrew's School) countered with a chance off a breakaway at 2:34 to even the damage at two-all.

However, the eventual outcome began to be written to close out the period as Krystle Morgan (Jr., Rowland Heights, Calif./Rosary) torqued her only marker of the morning home with 2:05 to go to put the Bison in front to stay.

George Washington and Bucknell battled to a draw for much of the second period before Becca Shopiro (Sr., Buffalo Grove, Adlai E. Stevenson) pushed in a man-up tally at 4:14 to place the Bison in front 4-2. 

The Colonials' closed the gap to a single goal prior to the conclusion of the half as Walker sidearmed in her second marker of the game to make it 4-3 through 16 minutes of action.

Kennan and Taylor Barnett (Fr., Houston, Texas/Clear Lake) expanded the spread to 6-3 to start the third period as the duo beat Colonials' goalie Chander Vilander (Fr., Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos) at 6:49 and 3:42, respectively. 

Following a score by Katherine Berry (So., Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) via an advantage chance at 2:33 to move GW within 6-4, the Bison stormed back with a tally by Frankeny to keep the Colonials down 7-4.  GW returned the favor as Monica Hanson (Sr., Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd/UC-San Diego) slipped through the Bison defense for a strike with 36 seconds left on the period clock to close the gap to 7-5.

However, Bucknell stymied George Washington's comeback bid in the fourth quarter as Barnett buried a man-up goal (6:35) and Heather Smith (So., Redwood City, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) flipped a natural goal into the mesh (3:18) to balance outt a natural strike by Megan Moreland (Fr., La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla) (4:49) and an advantage score from Brolley (1:20).

For the game, Frankeny, Kennan and Barnett each finished with a pair of markers for the Bison to lead the way, while Walker and Brolly registered pairs to power the Colonials.

Rena Heim (So., Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) earned the victory between the pipes for Bucknell by stopping seven shots and allowing seven goals.  Vilander suffered the loss for the Colonials with nine goals against and seven saves.

George Washington will next be in action at 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 against Notre Dame College to decide weather the Colonials advance to either the ninth or 11th place game on Sunday morning.

Bucknell Goals: Ariel Frankeny (2); Hallie Kennan (2); Taylor Barnett (2); Becca Shopiro; Heather Smith; Krystle Morgan

GW Goals: Megan Walker (2); Megan Brolley (2); Katherine Berry; Monica Hanson; Megan Moreland

Saves: Bucknell -  Rena Heim (7),  ; GW - Chandler Vilander (7)

Exclusions: Bucknell -  9 ; GW - 9

Advantage Opportunities: Bucknell - 4-for-9 ; GW - 2-for-9

Sprints: Bucknell - 4-for-4 (Julianne Valdes) ; GW - 0-for-4

Cards: None

Officials: Alex Stankevitch, Josh Kratz

George Washington University goalie Chandler Vilander attempts to save Heather Smith's tally