Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team came into the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships Friday afternoon as the No. 3 seed but was unable to get out of the first round with a win falling 9-4 to Occidental College.
Whittier won their only meeting this season over the Tigers back on April 6 when they won 9-6 but this time around the six seeded Tigers were poised for the upset as they used a 4-0 run in the fourth quarter to come away with the five goal victory.
The Poets took an early 1-0 lead off of a man up situation from Laurel Pinkley but on the next two possessions for Oxy they would take their first lead at 2-1 and hold that advantage after one quarter of play despite the Poets having two man opportunities to close out the frame.
The Tigers would extend their lead to three opening up the second quarter and would hold the Purple & Gold scoreless throughout the period until Cynthia Castillo would find the back of the goal as the buzzer sounded capitalizing off of a Tiger turnover pulling WC within two at the break.
Out of intermission WC and OXY would exchange goals to keep the differential at two and then with 1:19 to play Monique Dorado would connect capitalizing off a Tiger penalty. But this would be the last goal tallied for Whittier as Oxy would add four more to their total in the final frame that propelled them to the first round victory.
Whittier now awaits the winner of tomorrow morning's consolation play in game between Caltech and Chapman and they will take on the winner in the nightcap at 7:00pm.
