Women's Water Polo | 2/13/2026 10:45:00 AM
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Red Flash will compete in three matches at the Bucknell Invitational, facing La Salle and Villanova on Saturday, followed by a matchup with host Bucknell on Sunday.
THE WORD ON LASALLE
La Salle enters the weekend 1-0 after opening the 2026 season with a 12-10 victory over Iona last Saturday. The Explorers rallied from an early deficit behind a strong defensive effort, led by goalkeeper Lily Kirby, who made program history with 19 saves- the most by an Explorer in a single game. Offensively, Samara Eschleman scored four goals, Claire McCulloch recorded five points, and Nadya Azzopardi added a hat trick, including the eventual game-winning penalty goal with 5:24 remaining. La Salle will compete in three matches at the Bucknell Invitational, facing Saint Francis and Bucknell on Saturday before closing the weekend against Occidental on Sunday.
LAST TIME WE MET THE EXPLORERS
Saint Francis last faced La Salle on Feb. 9, 2025, at the Princeton Invite, earning a 17- victory. Back-to-back goals from
Sofia Maioriello late in the second quarter helped the Red Flash take a 10-5 lead into halftime. Maioriello led Saint Francis with four goals, while
Caylah Olay and
Lucy Willis each scored twice. In goal,
Isabel Lumley recorded eight saves in the win.
THE WORD ON VILLANOVA
Villanova enters the weekend with a 4-4 overall record. This past weekend at the Wildcat Invite, Villanova opened with an 18-15 loss to No. 23 California Baptist before picking up wins over Gannon and Iona on Saturday, scoring 37 goals across the two games. The Wildcats wrapped up the tournament with an 18-8 loss to No. 8 Harvard. Ella Mattocks led the way offensively with 12 goals on the weekend, while Layla Canales, Coco Jones and Tessa Pettit also chipped in on offense.
LAST TIME WE MET THE WILDCATS
Saint Francis last faced Villanova on Feb. 10, 2024, at the Bucknell Invite, falling 10-9. The two teams did not meet during the 2025 season. The Red Flash trailed 6-1 at halftime but responded with a strong second half, outscoring the Wildcats 7-4 after the break. In the final moments, the Red Flash closed the gap to just one goal.
THE WORD ON BUCKNELL
Bucknell enters the weekend 5-1 after a perfect 3-0 showing at the VMI Invite. The Bison opened with a 14-4 win over Salem and followed with 14-6 and 21-13 victories over Mount St. Mary's and VMI, respectively. Key contributors included Olivia Hopper, Ashley Hopper, Gwen Kallmeyer, Bella Schraa, and Lin Naraoka, who all tallied multiple goals, while Tamara Torkos anchored the defense with strong goaltending. Bucknell will face Saint Francis this weekend.
LAST TIME WE MET THE BISONS
Saint Francis last faced Bucknell on March 23, 2025, at the Wolverine Invitational, falling 15-10. The Bison led throughout most of the game, but the Red Flash outscored Bucknell 5-4 in the fourth quarter.
Aubrey Miller and
Sarah Hartwell scored back-to-back goals to close the half at 7-4, while
Caylah Olay and
Kayla Rhoads contributed multiple goals in the final frame to narrow the lead. In goal,
Isabel Lumley recorded four saves for Saint Francis.
NEW TO THE LO'
Victoria Tamarit, a freshman from Valencia, Spain, brings international experience as a goalie.
Laura Knight, a freshman from Auckland, New Zealand, joins the team as a utility player with strong all-around skills.
Olivia George, a sophomore from Grand Blanc, Michigan, adds scoring depth and speed as an attacker.
Bella Castaneda, a sophomore from Brea, California, is a versatile utility player who can make an impact at multiple positions.
FLASH FOCUS
Caylah Olay is closing in on all-time program records, sitting second in career points (319) and goals (223) while also ranking second in career shots (521) and exclusions drawn (204).
Lucy Willis had a perfect weekend at the VMI Invite, going 15-for-15 on shots across three matches. She scored seven goals against Mount St. Mary's, added five more against VMI with two assists and two steals, and finished with three goals, one ejection drawn, and one steal versus Salem, earning CWPA Honor Roll recognition.
FROM THE DECK
Jay O'Neil enters his ninth season as head coach at Saint Francis and is now eight wins shy of 100 career victories with the Red Flash and four wins shy of 200 overall. He guided the team to a program-record 14 wins in 2025 and recently earned two wins on the road. Under his leadership, Saint Francis has twice finished a program-best fifth in the postseason, in 2022 and 2024. A Bucknell graduate, O'Neil came to Loretto from Washington & Jefferson, where he earned CWPA Women's Coach of the Year honors in 2012, and also spent 10 years as aquatic director and head varsity swimming coach at Somerset Area High School. The Red Flash return to Bucknell this weekend, giving O'Neil a chance to coach at his alma mater and face familiar waters.
NEXT SPLASH
The Red Flash travel to Lewisburg, Pa. for the Bucknell Invitational on Feb. 14-15 at Kinney Natatorium. Saint Francis will face La Salle and Villanova on Saturday, followed by a matchup with host Bucknell on Sunday. The previously scheduled game against Siena has been cancelled.
All games will be streamed live on the Bucknell Athletics YouTube page.
