Women's Water Polo | 4/29/2018 3:07:00 PM

LEWISBURG, PA – The nationally thirteenth ranked Hartwick water polo team trailed 3-1 in the second quarter but outscored #14 Indiana 6-0 over the next 17:43 as the Hawks beat the Hoosiers 8-5 on Sunday in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) third-place game at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, PA.
           
The win for Hartwick is their 30^th of the season. It marks just the third 30-win season for the Hawks in 18 seasons of competition. Today's win marks the program's third CWPA third-place finish in the last four seasons. Hartwick also set the program record for goals in a season with 578.
           
Player of the Game Lena Kotanchyan (Moscow, Russia / Elk Island School) scored three times to pace the Hawks' offense. Charlotte Cottle (Sydney, Australia / Presbyterian Ladies College) would contribute two goals and Zsofia Polak (Dunaujvaros, Hungary / Rudas H.S.), L.J. Edwards (Encinitas, CA / Cathedral Catholic H.S.), and Tori Wilson (Kitchener, ONT / Grand River Collegiate Institute) each had a goal.
           
IU would take a 2-0 lead while shutting out the Hawks for the first quarter. Polak scored for 'Wick 1:18 into the second to get on the scoreboard, but the Hoosiers answered right back 13 seconds later for a 3-1 advantage. Cottle pulled the Hawks back to within one with her first goal of the day. Neither team could find the net over the final 4:45 of the quarter and Indiana led at half, 3-2.
           
The Hawks came out flying in an inspired second half as they tallied three times before the midway point of the third quarter to surge ahead. Kotanchyan tallied at 5:54 to tie the game and again at 4:41 to put 'Wick ahead for good. Edwards gave the Hawks an insurance goal at the 3:59 mark and 'Wick entered the final quarter up 5-3.
           
Kotanchyan's third goal of the game early in the fourth made it 6-3. Cottle added to the total at the 3:46 mark. IU scored for the first time since 5:29 of the second quarter to trim the margin to 7-4. Wilson put the game out of reach with a minute and a half left.
           
At the conclusion of the tournament, Polak and Kotanchyan were both named to the CWPA All-Tournament First Team for the second straight year. Polak earns the honor for the third time in her career.
           
Kotanchyan (112) and Polak (109) are two of only five players in program history to score 100 goals in a season. Polak leaves 'Wick as the all-time leading goal scorer (374) and one of only two players to amass 600 points or more.
           
Hartwick finishes its 18^th and final season as one of the winningest programs in Division I water polo history with 466 victories and an average of 25.9 wins per season. Fifteen-year head coach Alan Huckins closes his Hartwick career with an astounding record of 396-174 (.695 winning percentage).