Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team opened up day one of the Claremont Convergence Friday with wins over Division I Cal State Monterey Bay and NAIA Concordia (Irvine) to extend their winning streak to five.

Game 1 (Cal State Monterey Bay; W, 11-9)

Whittier added four goals in the first quarter, all coming consecutively within a six minute span from Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.), Arlin De La Mora (Commerce, Calif.), Angelica Hernandez, andCynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.).  Leading 4-2 after the first quarter, Whittier opened up the second with two strikes from Gorrocino and Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.) that moved the score to 6-2 before an Otter goal from Samantha Whitecotton would cut the deficit to three at the break.

Hernandez caught fire out of the half with back to back goals that got the Poet offense up and running and she would add her fifth of the game minutes later along with Gorrocino that moved the Poet lead to five.

The Otters mounted a comeback in the fourth with four straight that pulled them within one 10-9 with under a minute to play, but the Southpaw Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.) would add the final goal with :25 seconds left that secured the two goal victory for the Purple & Gold.

Cailtin Bronzan (Brentwood, Calif.) and Denise Cervantes (Montebello, Calif.) split the goalie duties each playing 16 minutes and each had three saves.        

Game 2 (Concordia; W, 12-9)

Whittier faced off against Concordia for the third time this season and has moved to 3-0 in the head to head match-up.  The Eagles added the first goal of the game but Castillo and Morales would answer that would put the Poets in front 2-1. 

Gorrocino would add the final tally at the end of the first that would give the Poets a slight 3-2 advantage, but Concordia would come out in the second to regain the lead with back to back goals from Emily Varisco and Tayla Walsh.

Morales would stop the run at the 3:00 mark that tied the game up at four and Castillo would be called upon at the end of the second that tied things up at five at the break. 

Opening up the third, Gorrocino would capitalize on a five-meter and Hernandez would find the back of the goal for her first of the game but the game would remain deadlocked at 7-7 at the end of the stanza. 

Seven goals were added in the final eight minutes.  Castillo and Morales went back to back to open things up and Hernandez controlled the ending with two straight along with a goal from Hayley Parker (Redwood City, Calif.) that moved the score to 12-8 and despite a goal from Concordia with 1:12 to play it wasn't enough to spark a comeback as Whittier held on for the three goal victory.

Cervantes got the start in game two and finished with four saves in 16 minutes.  Bronzan played the second half and collected five saves.     

Whittier wraps up the Claremont Convergence today as they take on Fresno Pacific (9:00am) and Sonoma State (2:20pm).