#24 CSUN Heads East to Compete at the Harvard Invitational

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.--- No. 24 CSUN Water Polo (11-4) will play four times at the Harvard Invitational beginning on Saturday. CSUN squares off with La Salle to open the event at 9 a.m. PT before taking on Siena at 2:20 p.m. PT later on Saturday. The Matadors close the invite against No. 19 Harvard at 6:20 a.m. PT and Carthage College at 9 a.m. PT on Sunday. The four matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT
CSUN picked up two wins at the Redlands Invitational last Saturday. Playing under snowy conditions, the Matadors defeated Redlands 9-3 and Westcliff 13-5. Dorottya Telek notched 10 goals in the two matches while Shelby Hovanesian added five tallies. Goalkeeper Meghan Lopez played all 64 minutes in front of the cage on the day, totaling 27 saves. Lopez's 19 saves against Westcliff were tied for the fifth-most ever recorded in a single match in team history.

MATADOR HEADLINES
After scoring 10 goals last week, Dorottya Telek has a Big West-leading 61 goals to go with six assists. Telek also tops the team with 20 steals and 48 exclusions drawn. Telek is only 16 off the pace her season goal total from last year while she is 19 goals from tying Whitney Delgado for the most goals in a season in school history.

Shelby Hovanesian is second on the team in goals with 16 followed by Anna Pal with 13 and Helena Sandhagen with 11. Pal ranks second on the team in points with 37 to go with 24 assists. Meghan Lopez is fourth in The Big West in saves with 122 while she has a 7.57 goals-against-average.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUN has never played La Salle or Siena in water polo in team history. The Matadors have played Harvard three times and posted a pair of victories. CSUN and Harvard last played in 2018 with the Matadors prevailing 10-8. The Matadors defeated Carthage in the teams' only meeting in 2018 by a 19-5 score. This weekend represents the first trip for CSUN to Harvard in water polo.

A LOOK AT CSUN'S OPPONENTS
La Salle is 9-5 on the season after dropping two of three games at the Princeton Invitational last week. The team has wins over the likes of Saint Francis, Mercyhurst, Bucknell and Chapman this season. The Explorers are coming off a season where they went 22-15. Francesca Co' leads the team in goals with 45 while Shanna Zuanich has 29. Emma Gurasich has 80 saves in front of the cage.

Siena (2-5) is also coming off an appearance at the Princeton Invitational where the team lost two of three games. The Saints' wins this season are over Gannon and Chapman. Siena went 4-25 overall during the 2022 season. Grace Boeve is the team's top returning goal scorer with 31 scored last season. Anna Mossakowski also has returned after recording 107 saves a year ago.

No. 19 Harvard is 8-2 on the season with recent wins over Marist, La Salle, LIU and Iona. The Crimson split their two matches at last week's Princeton Invitational. Harvard is coming off a 23-win season in 2022 and an appearance in the CWPA championship match. The team's top returning scorer is Brooke Hourigan who had 56 goals a season ago. Goalkeeper Zoe Banks notched 216 total saves for the Crimson last season.

Carthage College holds a 1-4 record after falling to McKendree last week. The Firebirds' win this season came against Caltech to open 2023. Carthage finished last season with a 2-20 overall record. Yamila Arezaga and Morrigan Bushroe-Stumpf have a team-high seven goals apiece this season. In front of the cage, Ella Selman has racked up 38 saves.

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#24 CSUN Heads East to Compete at the Harvard Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Shelby Hovanesian

Meghan Lopez

Anna Pal

Helena Sandhagen

Dorottya Telek

California State University Northridge Athletics