WHITTIER, Calif. - The No. 8 Whittier College women's water polo team lost its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener on Wednesday afternoon to No. 5 California Lutheran University, 17-11, at the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center.

WC (6-8, 0-1 SCIAC) was led by Katrina Thoreson who tallied a team-high four goals.

The Regals (10-9, 1-0 SCIAC) scored the games first goal at the 6:17 mark before Sarah Peel notched her first of three goals on the afternoon.

Cal Lu stretched its lead to 4-1 over the next four minutes but the Poets ended the Regals' run with a goal at the 1:13 mark by Melissa Reynoso. Cal Lu was able to add two goals in rapid succession to close out the quarter and take a 6-2 lead.

The two SCIAC foes traded three goals apiece in the second quarter which led to the Regals taking a 9-5 lead into the intermission.

The Poets allowed three consecutive Regal goals to start the third quarter before Thoreson made good on one of her two third quarter scores to cut the lead to 12-6. Cal Lu answered with a goal just 30 seconds later before the Poets closed out the quarter with a goal at the 1:05 mark.

Whittier was able to score four goals in the final quarter and it cut the Cal Lu lead to as little as four goals but it wasn't enough as the Regals went on for the six-goal win.

Xenia Castillo added one goal in the loss for the Poets.

The purple and gold return to action this Friday and Saturday as they take part in the Roadrunner Invitational hosted by CSU Bakersfield. WC's first game is at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, March 27, against Fresno Pacific.