Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team opened up 2014 at the UC Santa Barbara Invite Saturday and came away with a split falling 23-10 to No. 14 Cal State Northridge before edging Fresno Pacific 6-5.
Game 1 (No. 14 Cal State Northridge – L, 23-10)
Head Coach Justin Pudwill who is known for playing a tough non-conference schedule year after year jump-started his 2014 campaign with a match-up against Div. I Cal State Northridge who comes into the season ranked No. 14 in the pre-season CWPA (Collegiate Women's Water Polo) Varsity Polls.
Whittier was without seniors Mattie Winkler (Mill Valley, Calif.) and Melanie Peel (Whittier, Calif.) along with junior Melissa Pinlac who were taking part in a swim meet against Occidental College Saturday morning. The Poets totaled five goals in the first half and five in the second and received four goals from freshman attacker Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.), and two goals from Laurel Pinkley (Humble, TX), Cynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Jae Crabtree (San Diego, Calif.).
In goal, freshman Caitlin Bronzan (Brentwood, Calif.) got the start and finished with four saves.
Game 2 (Fresno Pacific – W, 6-5)
In the second game of the Invite the Poets took on Div. II Fresno Pacific. Whittier was held scoreless in the first half and saw the Sunbirds hold a 2-0 lead at the half. But the Purple & Gold would bounce back in the second half adding two goals in the third and four in the fourth to come from behind to grab their first victory of 2014.
Rivera and Sabrina Carlile (Dallas, TX) each added two goals apiece, while Crabtree and Jasmine Villalpando (Los Angeles, Calif.) added a goal each. Senior Ajita Harrison (Santa Cruz, Calif.) got her first start in goal and picked up her first collegiate victory between the posts after picking up six saves.
Whittier begins to prepare for their mini-tournament, set to occur Saturday, February 8 at the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center when they host Occidental College (11:40am), Azusa Pacific (5:00pm), and La Verne (7:00pm).
