Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team ended their non-conference schedule Sunday as they dropped a pair of games to Division I Cal State East Bay (11-6) and Brown University (10-6).
The Poets have now dropped four straight all coming against Division I opponents as they drop to 13-12, 1-0 SCIAC.
Game 1 (Cal State East Bay – 11, Whittier – 6)
CSUEB became the first Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) team to defeat Whittier in three tries after the DIII top ranked Poets narrowly took down both Cal State Monterey Bay and Sonoma State earlier this season.
It was a low scoring affair in the first quarter with two goals being scored in the first eight minutes, both coming from the Pioneers.
Whittier drew the first two of 11 earned exclusions in the game to set up a potential game-tying 6-on-4 opportunity. The Poets shot went high of target and was one of eight missed opportunities in 10 player advantage chances for the home side.
The Purple & Gold pulled even at the 3:29 mark in the second quarter with back to back goals from Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.) and Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.) but Ka'iliponi McGee and Tori Dettloff would answer with two of their own that gave the visitors a 4-2 advantage at the half.
The Pioneers pushed the lead out of the break to four but the Poets would stay within comeback range trailing 8-6 with 6:33 left in regulation. A couple of late third quarter scores from Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.) and a fourth quarter tally from Angelica Hernandez made it close down the stretch.
However CSUEB would score seven second half goals and put the game away with the final three tallies that helped them escape with the five goal victory.
Rivera and Morales each finished with two goals and Caitlin Bronzan (Brentwood, Calif.) finished with four saves between the posts.
Game 2 (Brown – 10, Whittier – 6)
The Poets had no answer for Marisa Kolokotronis and Olivia Santiago in the nightcap, who each recorded hat tricks. Whittier grabbed an early 2-1 lead after the first quarter thanks to Rivera with one of two goals coming on a man-up situation.
The Bears came back strong in the second however outscoring the Purple & Gold 3-1 to take a 4-3 lead into intermission. Brown's Kolokotronis and Pierotti added the first two scores of the second that put them in front 3-2. Whittier's Hernandez would answer with 1:24 left in the period that tied the game up, but with 24 seconds left Brown would reclaim the lead from Jessica Heilman who capitalized on a 6-on-5.
Arlin De La Mora (Commerce, Calif.) connected quickly in the third that leveled the game up at 4-4, but Brown would again go back in front with goals from Kolokotronis and Santiago that moved the score to 6-4.
Despite a Cynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.) goal in the third that again pulled WC within one 6-5, that's as close as they would get as Brown would add three in the fourth en route to the four goal victory.
In goal, Bronzan picked up eight saves, while Rivera finished with a team high two goals.
Whittier returns to the pool this Wednesday, March 25 as they host Occidental College beginning at 4:00pm.
