ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's water polo team hosts #9 Princeton and Bucknell on Saturday, March 29, at the North East Aquatic Center. The Lakers face Princeton and 11 a.m. and then take on Bucknell at 7 p.m. Both matches are Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Southern Division games.
 
Mercyhurst is 9-6 after winning the CWPA Division II Championship last weekend. It beat Gannon, 6-5, and then defeated Notre Dame College, 14-11, to take the title. Cailin Jope was named Tournament MVP and CWPA Southern Division Player of the Week after scoring four goals and posting five drawn ejections.
 
Jesse Sworden earned CWPA Southern Division Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording 26 saves in two outings Saturday. The sophomore was All-Tournament Goalie, while freshman Jena Clinch was chosen to the All-Tournament Team. 
 
Princeton is 21-1 this season. It won all four of its contests at the LMU Zumo Invite last weekend. The Tigers beat Pomona Pitzer, #8 Loyola Marymount, Sonoma State, and Cal State San Bernardino at the event.
 
Bucknell is 7-9 after dropping three of four decisions at the Aztec Invitational March 15-16. The Bison beat Cal Lutheran after falling to San Jose State, UC-San Diego, and San Diego State.

In this week's CWPA Top 10 poll, Princeton is first, Bucknell is seventh, and Mercyhurst stands ninth.
 
Jope leads Mercyhurst with 34 goals and 44 points this season. She also has a team-high 27 steals. Clinch is next with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists). Aleeyse Utech has tallied 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists), while Meagan Marques has 32 points (23 goals, nine assists). Sworden is 6-5 in goal, allowing 6.38 goals per game.
 
Katie Rigler leads the Tigers with 67 points (47 goals, 20 assists). Ashley Hatcher has recorded with 52 points (34 goals, 18 assists) and Molly McBee also has 52 points (28 goals, 24 assists). Ashleigh Johnson has started 20 games in goal, stopping 69.6 percent of the shots she has faced.
 
For Bucknell, Eleanor Marrs leads the offense with 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists). Julianne Valdes and Hannah Sunday have both scored 19 goals to lead the Bison this year. Rena Heim is allowing 7.93 goals per game in net.
 
Saturday marks both Princeton and Bucknell's first-ever trips to Mercyhurst. The teams will face each other at 3 p.m. at the North East Aquatic Center.