Women’s Water Polo Hands Out Team Awards; Elects 2011 Captains

Pictured: Devan Kennifer
Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot Photography.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- The Harvard women’s water polo team recently held its annual awards gathering where individuals were honored and the captains for 2011 were announced. The squad handed out four team awards at the celebration. The team also elected the captains for the 2011 season. Sophomore Devan Kennifer and junior Patricia Smith will serve as the captains next season.

The Most Valuable Player award went to Kennifer, the Crimson’s leading scorer throughout the season as she tallied 67 goals. The product of Monterey, Calif., was an All-Northern Division first team selection for the second time in her career. She was also tabbed to the Eastern Championship All-Tournament second team.

The Most Improved Player award was given to two players: Shami Entenman and Shannon Purcell. Entenman stepped up down the stretch, playing between the posts in the final two games of the season. Entenman entered the Crimson’s second game at the Eastern Championships at goalie where she was an immediate impact. The junior blocked a five-meter penalty shot just seconds into the half. The following day, she made her first collegiate start at goalie against Maryland where she made four saves.

Purcell stood sixth on the team in scoring with 24 goals. The sophomore posted seven multi-goal games this season. She buried a pair of markers in all three of the Crimson’s games at the Eastern Championship.

The recipient of the Rookie of the Year award was Aisha Price. Price ranked fourth on Harvard with 31 tallies. The Honolulu, Hawaii native scored a goal in her first collegiate contest, a 16-2 win over Villanova. The freshman turned in 13 multiple goal performances in her first season.

Senior Roxanne Pinto was recognized with the Coach’s Award. Pinto tallied four goals in her senior season. She is a four-year member of the Harvard women’s water polo team and has been a key player all four years. The native of Palo Alto, Calif., scored 20 goals in her freshman campaign. Overall, Pinto netted 46 goals during her career.