Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team swept the competition at the Claremont Convergence over the weekend winning all four games, which included wins over Cal State Monterey Bay (11-9), Concordia (12-9), Fresno Pacific (12-7), and Sonoma State (11-10).
With the four wins the Poets improve to 10-2 and have a seven game winning streak currently, remain at No. 1 in the Division III Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Polls and are off to the best start in program history.
Game 1 (Fresno Pacific; W, 12-7)
Whittier jumped all over the Sunbirds 4-1 after the first quarter and didn't let up as they used a 4-2 scoring spurt in the final period to come away with the five goal victory. Whittier led 5-2 at the break and extended the lead to 8-4 after three quarters before moving it to a six goal deficit with 3:11 to play.
Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.) and Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.) each had four goals, with Gorrocino converted on two five meters and capitalized on two man-up situations.
Game 2 (Sonoma State; W, 11-10)
The Purple & Gold battled in game two of the Convergence against Division II Sonoma State holding on for the one goal victory. Whittier jumped ahead 2-0 in the first five minutes with both goals coming on man-up situations from Gorrocino and Arlin De La Mora (Commerce, Calif.) but saw the Seawolves rattle off three consecutive that put them in front 3-2 at the start of the second. After the game tying goal from Gorrocino, Sonoma State put together another run of three straight that gave them a 6-3 lead with three minutes to play in the half.
Facing a 7-4 deficit at the break, Whittier came out and began chipping away outscoring the Seawolves 4-2 in the third to pull within one 9-8.
Sonoma State opened the fourth with a quick goal to move the lead back to two but the Poets would add two in the next two minutes that tied the game up at ten. Neither team converted on scoring chances until Whittier found the net with just 27 seconds to play from Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.) that gave them the 11-10 lead, eventually being the game winner.
Gorrocino finished with four goals, totaling eight on the day and 16 over the two days. Rivera added three and De La Mora with two.
Whittier returns to the pool this Thursday, March 12 as they host Wagner beginning at 7:00pm. The game will be streamed live here, brought to you by the Whittier College Sports Network.
