GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson women's water polo team opened their 2022 season Friday afternoon against Gannon University at James E Longnecker Competition Pool. W&J fell to the Division II school by a 20-8 score. 

Gannon 20, W&J 8

Ryley McClellan (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) would score the first goal for the Presidents to cut Gannon's deficit to 2-1. The Presidents would only score one more goal in the first quarter and trailed 5-2 after the first quarter. 

Gannon would open the second quarter with three straight goals to extend the lead to 8-2 over the Presidents. Sydney Neumann (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) would stop the Presidents scoring drought with 5:58 remaining in the second quarter. Laura Anthony (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) would score seconds before the buzzer signaling the end of the second quarter. The Presidents trailed 11-5 at halftime. 

Gannon would score three more goals to open the third quarter before McClellan would find the back of the net again for the Red & Black. Megan DePrez (Claremont, Calif./Claremont) would score the first goal of the fourth quarter before Anthony sent another shot into the back of the net. 

W&J will compete in two more matches on Saturday, February 26. W&J's first game will be against Wittenburg with a start time of 12 p.m. before facing Virginia Military Institute at 4:30 p.m.