Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team opened up the Claremont Convergence Friday with a doubleheader against Div. I Hawaii and Div. II Azusa Pacific and came away with a split to improve to 7-5.

Game 1 (Michigan - L, 20-6)

Whittier who was coming off of a 7-3 victory over Division I Villanova Wednesday took on Hawaii to open the tournament, their fourth straight Division I opponent.

Hawaii added six goals in the first quarter while the Poets tallied two from Jasmine Villalpando and Jenel Rivera but after a scoreless second, the Purple & Gold trailed 12-2 at the break.

Hawaii opened the third with two goals to extend the lead to 14-2 before the Poets would add three themselves from Hannah Ellett, Melissa Pinlac, and Jae Crabtree.  Then in the fourth, the Poets would add one more from Arlin De La Mora but it wouldn't be enough to top the Rainbow Warriors as they fell 20-6.

Denise Cervantes got the start in goal and finished with four saves, while Ajita Harrison finished with three saves.   

Game 2 (Azusa Pacific – W, 10-9 OT)

In the second game, APU got the scoring started with a goal at the 4:48 mark until Rivera would tie it up on the Poets next possession.  APU would add the next two goals from Megan Myers and Allison Gonzalez before Cynthia Castillo would pull the Poets within one with twenty two seconds remaining in the quarter.

In the second, Rivera came out adding the first two tallies to put the Poets in front before Alynn Reade would knot the game up at four heading into the break.

APU would regain their lead out of intermission with two straight but saw Rivera and Villalpando answer with two of their own to once again tie the game up after three quarters of play.  In the final quarter, Crabtree put WC in front 7-6 until Azusa would add back to back goals to go in front 8-7.  Then with 1:25 to play, Castillo would come up big adding the tying goal that forced the game into OT.

In the extra session APU would add the first goal with Whittier's Villalpando adding the second and then in the second OT, Laurel Pinkley would get into the scoring category from the center position putting the Poets in front 10-9, a lead they would hold onto following a turnover on APU's final possession.

Cervantes played the entire game collecting a career high 14 saves. 

Whittier wraps up the Claremont Convergence tomorrow, Saturday, March 8 when they take on George Washington (10:20am) and Long Beach State (2:20pm).