Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotograhy.com
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team earned their opening victory Friday afternoon during the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships as they cruised to the 12-5 victory over the University of La Verne.
This marks the fourth straight victory for the Purple & Gold and their second over La Verne on the season as they improved to 19-14, 7-2 SCIAC.
Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.) and Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.) got the scoring started with quick strikes in the first four minutes of the game. Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.) added her first at the 4:00 mark and Gorrocino put the finishing touches on the first quarter with her second tally that moved the scored to 4-2.
Morales added the first goal of the second quarter that extended the lead to three and Gorrocino again found the back of the goal for her third of the game that gave the Poets a 6-3 lead at the break.
In the second half the Poets poured it on outscoring the Leopards 6-2, which included a shutout in the fourth. Angelica Hernandez and Rivera gave Whittier some breathing room out of intermission 8-3 and Rivera would combine with Gorrocino at the end of the stanza yet again that moved the deficit to five.
In the final frame, Cynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Hernandez would put the finishing touches on the lopsided victory with the final two connections that propelled the poets to the first round victory.
Caitlin Bronzan (Brentwood, Calif.) had one of her best games of the season finishing with 10 saves playing all 32 minutes.
Whittier looks forward to a semi-final match-up with No. 2 Claremont-M-S tomorrow, Saturday, April 25 beginning at 2:30pm looking to avenge their regular season loss to the Athena's 10-7 back on April 8.
