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Bucknell Women's Water Polo Places Five on All-Conference Teams
May 4, 2005 LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior co-captain Meg Blitzer was named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive year, and four other Bison earned second-team citations, as Bucknell tied Princeton for the most players selected to the two teams, announced earlier this week, with five. Mandy Bynum, Meagan Gins, Katie Hartigan and Cody Keffer were the Bison who made the second team. Bucknell's five selections to the all-conference squads were the most in the seven-year history of the program, eclipsing its total of three in 2000 and 2004. Maryland and George Washington, which each had one player on the both the first and second teams, represented the other four athletes honored on the two seven-person teams. Princeton had four players on the first team and one on the second, while Salem International, the last-place team in the five-team Southern Division, did not have a representative on either of the all-conference teams. Blitzer, who last year joined Adrienne Schober as the only Bucknell players to earn first-team honors, led Bucknell in goals (66), assists (26) and points (92) this season. Anointed the top female athlete in the senior class with the Christy Mathewson Award at Bucknell's annual Senior Awards Banquet Tuesday night, Blitzer owns the Bison career record for goals (198), points (282) and steals (199). She ranks third on the all-time assists list with 84. The Durham, N.H., native also holds the Bucknell record for most goals in a season and goals in a game. She tallied 66 goals each of the last two years, eclipsing the former mark of 61 by five. As a junior, Blitzer scored seven goals during an 11-6 victory over Villanova to set a single-game record. She scored six goals on two occasions this year giving her three of the top-10 scoring marks in Bison history. The only two-time co-captain in the history of the program, Blitzer fell one point shy of equaling Scober's single-season standard of 93 this year. Blitzer registered 90 points as a junior, giving her 182 over her final two seasons.
Bynum, a sophomore goalie making her first appearance on the all-conference team, had her second consecutive outstanding season as she broke her own Bucknell record by recording a save percentage of .611. That mark eclipsed her own record of .560 she set as a freshman. Bynum stopped 237 shots, the fourth-best single-season total in Bison history, and allowed just 151 goals this year. The San Jose, Calif., native ranks second on the career list with 516 saves, just 376 behind first-place Lindsay Chesterfield, and has a career save percentage of .582. Bynum started 27 games and played in 28.
Gins, a freshman, was second on the team in goals and points with 48 and 61, respectively, this year. She fell just seven goals shy of equaling Keffer's freshman goal-scoring record of 55, set in 2002. The Albuquerque, N.M., native made an immediate impact, and quickly impressed the home crowd, when in the fifth game of the season, and the first home contest, she scored six goals to equal the second-best in the history of the program. Gins, who fired 130 shots on goal, was strong on the defensive end with 27 steals. She also led the team with 53 ejections drawn, 21 more than her next highest teammate.
Hartigan, one of three Bison seniors on the all-conference teams, made her second consecutive appearance on the second team. She tallied 17 goals and 19 assists for a career-high tying 36 points, which stood fourth on the team. Her assist figure ranked third on the squad and was a career high as well. The Coronado, Calif., native wrapped up her career ranked ninth on Bucknell's career goals list with 71, seventh in assists with 54, and ninth in points with 125.
Keffer, a senior who is third on the career scoring list with 248 points, made her first appearance on the all-conference team. The co-captain was third on this year's team with 31 goals and 53 points. She ranked second on the squad with 22 assists. The Berkeley, Calif., native finished her career with 156 goals and 92 assists. She ranks third on Bucknell's career goals list and second on the all-time assist list. Keffer also registered 31 steals this year to stand second on the team behind Blitzer. Bucknell finished its 2005 season with a 23-11 record, setting a program record for victories in a season. The previous high was an 18-win campaign in 2001. The Bison finished seventh, equaling their best-ever showing, at last weekend's Eastern Championships.
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