Women's Water Polo | 3/27/2026 1:00:00 PM
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Saint Francis wraps up regular season play at the Salem Invite March 27-29 at The Bridge Sports Complex in Bridgeport, W.V.
The Red Flash open against Mercyhurst on March 27 at 7:30 p.m., followed by matchups against McKendree on March 28 at 1:30 p.m. and Gannon on March 29 at 10:30 a.m.
THE WORD ON MERCYHURST
Mercyhurst enters the Salem Invite with a 5-12 overall record after competing at the Princeton Invitational, where the Lakers fell to Brown, 14-2, and Bucknell, 11-6. Against Brown, Mercyhurst's scoring came from Mercedes Feliciano Fernandez and Victoria Mastrangelo, but the Bears controlled the pace throughout. In the matchup with Bucknell, the Lakers held an early lead with goals from Krista Domaracki, Fernandez, and Mastrangelo before the game was tied at halftime. Bucknell pulled away in the second half, despite a late goal from Freya Green, to secure the win.
LAST TIME WE MET THE LAKERS
Saint Francis and Mercyhurst last met on Feb. 21, 2026, in CWPA action, where the Red Flash fell 9-8. The game remained close throughout, with the teams tied 6-6 at halftime before Mercyhurst pushed ahead in the third quarter and held on in the fourth.
Caylah Olay led Saint Francis with four goals, while
Sofia Maioriello added two goals along with an assist and two steals.
Sarah Hartwell paced the defense with four steals, and
Victoria Tamarit contributed in goal with saves and additional defensive support.
THE WORD ON MCKENDREE
McKendree enters the Salem Invite with an 8-14 overall record after competing at the WWPA Erie Classic. The Bearcats opened the event on March 14 with a 15-13 loss to Salem, where a late rally came up short despite contributions from Shanelle Márquez and Joey Rebelo, before rebounding with a 23-16 win over Penn State Behrend later that day, fueled by a high-scoring offensive effort and balanced production across the roster. McKendree carried that momentum into March 15, earning a 14-12 win over Gannon to secure its first WWPA victory of the season, followed by a 13-10 win over Mercyhurst to close out the weekend with back-to-back conference victories.
LAST TIME WE MET THE BEARCATS
Saint Francis last faced McKendree on Feb. 17, 2019, at the Laker Invite, where the Red Flash fell 15-7. McKendree built an early lead and maintained control for much of the game. Saint Francis responded in the later stages, but the Bearcats remained ahead to secure the win.
THE WORD ON GANNON
Gannon enters the Salem Invite with a 7-8 overall record after earning a 17-9 win over Grove City in its most recent outing. The Golden Knights were led by a balanced offensive effort, highlighted by multiple multi-goal performances and contributions from several players, as nine different athletes recorded at least one point.
LAST TIME WE MET THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Saint Francis last faced Gannon on Feb. 28, 2026, where the Red Flash earned a 12-8 victory. Saint Francis built an early lead with a strong opening quarter and carried an 8-6 advantage into halftime. The game remained within reach through three quarters before the Red Flash pulled away in the fourth to secure the win.
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 continues to lead the Saint Francis record book, ranking first in career points (373), assists (103), and shots (610), while sitting second in goals (270) and exclusions drawn (228), and fourth in steals (91).
Victoria Tamarit anchored the Red Flash defensively, totaling 20 saves across both matches while also contributing a goal against Michigan.
FROM THE DECK
Jay O'Neil enters his ninth season as head coach at Saint Francis and is now five wins shy of 100 career victories with the Red Flash and one win 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.
NEXT SPLASH
Saint Francis closes out regular season play at the Salem Invite at The Bridge Sports Complex in Bridgeport, W.V., with matchups against Mercyhurst, McKendree, and Gannon.
All games will be streamed live on
https://team1sports.com/wwpa/.
