Margherita Garibbo scored seven goals and Salem University recorded its highest single-game scoring total since women's water polo returned to the school as the Tigers defeated Washington and Jefferson College 26-6 in the opening game of the Washington and Jefferson Invitational Saturday at Washington, Pa. Goalkeeper Philippa Piper recorded 20 saves and contributed to the offense with seven assists.
 
Annefleur ten Bloemendal tallied six goals, while Courtney O'Shaughnessy and Erin Zappia added five goals apiece. Salem's previous single-game high was 18 goals, which the Tigers reached once last season and twice already this season.
 
The Tigers settled for a split on the day after falling to Virginia Military Institute 10-9 in overtime. Piper stopped 21 shots for her second straight 20-save performance.
 
Salem (8-6) trailed Washington and Jefferson 2-1 and led by only two goals entering the second period before breaking the game open with an 8-0 run. Garibbo scored the final three goals of the scoring run to give the Tigers their first double-digit lead at 14-4 with 1:41 left before halftime. O'Shaughnessy answered a Washington and Jefferson goal with a goal of her own with 24 seconds remaining as the Tigers led 15-5 at the break.
 
The Tigers held the Presidents scoreless in the third period and allowed only a single goal in the fourth period. Zappia's power play goal with 36 seconds left to play gave Salem its first 20-goal lead.
 
The nightcap against VMI was a defensive battle as Salem held a 3-2 halftime lead. Beatrice Popescu scored two of Salem's four third-period goals as the Tigers extended their lead to 7-5. Zappia gave Salem a three-goal lead after converting a penalty shot with 4:20 left in regulation.
 
VMI chipped away and Genevieve Petrassi's goal with 36 seconds left tied the game to force overtime. Petrassi scored the tie-breaker with 30 seconds left in the first overtime period and the Keydets added a goal with less than two minutes left in the second OT period.
 
Popescu scored with 1:33 remaining to make it a one-goal game. Salem forced a pair of VMI turnovers in the final minute, but Keydet goalkeeper Isabel French recorded saves on both Tiger shot attempts to stop the rally.
 
Popescu led Salem with three goals, while Zappia had three assists. 
 
Salem concludes play with a pair of games Sunday morning. The Tigers face Gannon University at 8 a.m. and take on Penn State University-Behrend at 11:30 a.m.