The Weekend Wrap: Week 11
The East Region seeding for the 2026 WWPA Championship is officially set following the Salem Invitational, while the West Region standings continue to take shape as the regular season reaches its climax.
Salem
Salem officially clinched the No. 1 seed in the East Region with a dominant showing at the Salem Invitational. The Tigers swept their home weekend to finish with a perfect 4-0 conference record, outscoring their opponents 53-15 across three matches. Salem opened the event by defeating Gannon 17-9, fueled by four goals from Kara Wicht. The Tigers then secured an 18-4 victory over Mercyhurst before closing the weekend with a decisive 18-2 win against McKendree. Matipa Karimazondo paced the offense with five goals against the Bearcats, while goalkeeper Kristen Hemmila provided stability in the cage to anchor a suffocating defensive effort.
Gannon
Gannon traveled to West Virginia for the Salem Invitational and secured the No. 2 seed in the East Region following a crucial conference victory. After opening the weekend with a 17-9 loss to host Salem, the Golden Knights rebounded to defeat McKendree 16-12. Gannon utilized a fast start and a strong fourth quarter to overcome the Bearcats, earning the critical tiebreaker. Freshman Maria Martinez delivered a spectacular performance against McKendree, leading all scorers with six goals and four assists. The Golden Knights followed up with a 19-7 non-conference win over Mercyhurst before closing out the regular season with a loss to Saint Francis.
Biola
Biola extended its winning streak and maintained its hold on first place in the West Region with two conference victories and a non-conference win over Azusa Pacific. The Eagles opened the week with a hard-fought 13-11 victory over the Cougars before shifting their focus to WWPA play against Fresno Pacific and UC Merced. Biola controlled the pool against the Sunbirds on Friday, claiming a 13-3 win behind a stellar defensive effort. On Senior Day, the Eagles capped the weekend with a decisive 16-5 victory over UC Merced to stay perfect in conference action. Gwendolyn Pidd paced the offense against the Bobcats with six goals, while goalkeeper Fernanda Luna anchored the defense with 17 saves through three quarters.
Concordia
CUI pushed its winning streak to five games and celebrated its seniors with a pair of solid conference victories over the weekend. The Golden Eagles opened with a 12-7 win against UC Merced, utilizing a balanced offensive attack led by hat tricks from Kimorah Wong and Hannah Edwards. Concordia then carried that momentum into Saturday's matchup against Fresno Pacific, soaring past the Sunbirds for a 14-4 victory. Edwards shined as a playmaker, distributing five assists, while Sierrah Ferguson added three goals. Goalkeepers Marilyn Rodriguez-Garcia De Leon and Jaden Soto split time in the cage to anchor a defense that consistently stifled the opposition.
Cal State Monterey Bay
CSUMB locked up at least the No. 3 seed in the West Region with a commanding midweek victory over Fresno Pacific. The Otters traveled to Sanger High School on Tuesday and delivered an impressive offensive performance, defeating the Sunbirds 18-3. The Otters established a 10-2 lead by halftime and continued to build its advantage with consistent scoring across all four quarters. Stella Martin and Kaya Eaton paced the offense with three goals apiece, while Olivia Gutierrez added two goals and distributed four assists. Goalkeeper Marissa White anchored the defense early, registering nine saves in just over two quarters of action.
McKendree
McKendree wrapped up regular-season play at the Salem Invitational, where an untimely loss to Gannon ultimately positioned the Bearcats as the No. 3 seed in the East Region. The Bearcats battled hard against the Golden Knights, erasing an early deficit to tie the game in the second quarter before falling 16-12. Hailey Munoz led the offensive effort with a season-high four goals, while Mikayla Brown and Bella Morquecho each contributed hat tricks. McKendree then faced a tough non-conference matchup against Saint Francis, dropping a 22-8 decision despite two-goal performances from Morquecho and Charlie Monroe. The Bearcats ended the season on a high note, scoring the game's first four goals en route to a 15-9 win over Mercyhurst.
Fresno Pacific
FPU navigated a challenging stretch of WWPA play, dropping three conference matchups throughout the week. The Sunbirds opened the slate on Tuesday with an 18-3 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay. Later in the week, Fresno Pacific clashed with the top two teams in the West Region, falling to Biola 13-3 and Concordia 14-4. Against the Golden Eagles, the Sunbirds converted two power-play opportunities and saw active defensive play, with the team collecting seven steals. Evalena Filippi continued to provide stability in the cage, recording nine saves in the weekend finale to cap off the tough week. FPU will be the No. 4 West seed for the WWPA Championship.
UC Merced
The Bobcats opened the trip with a 12-7 loss to the Golden Eagles, showing resilience by rallying in the second quarter to tighten the score before Concordia pulled away. Kiryn Wicker led the offense with three goals, securing her first WWPA hat trick of the season. UC Merced then faced front-runner Biola, dropping a 16-5 decision despite goals from five different players. Goalkeeper Makenzie Royal anchored the defense throughout the weekend, recording 15 combined saves and four steals across the two contests.