Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team nearly pulled off another upset Saturday at the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center dropping a tight 12-11 decision to No. 20 Long Beach State as they would add the game winner with just seconds left on the clock.
Prior to their match-up with the 49ers the Poets took on Macalester and rolled to the 12-2 victory as they improved to 14-7, 2-0 SCIAC.
Game 1 (Macalester; W, 12-2)
Whittier held Macalester to just one goal in each half as they controlled from start to finish. They scored the first five goals of the game from five different players and rolled from there.
In the second they added another three to take an 8-1 lead into the break but would put the game out of reach with four more in the second half, which included two coming from Anaissa Paul (Chula Vista, Calif.).
Kayanna Heffner (Bend, OR), Celeste Moreira (Downey, Calif.), and Lindsay Shoaff (Costa Mesa, Calif.) each added two goals apiece.
Game 2 (Long Beach State; L, 12-11)
The match-up with Long Beach State proved to be the game of the day as the Poets nearly pulled off the upset. Cynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.) tied the game up at 1-1 at the 6:17 mark and minutes later Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.) and Arlin De la Mora (Commerce, Calif.) would tie things up at 3-3 following back-to-back strikes.
Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.) put the Purple & Gold on top at the start of the second but the 49ers would rally with two of their own over the final six minutes giving them a 5-4 lead at the half.
LBSU would extend the lead to two with the first goal in the third but the ensuing run would belong to Whittier rattling off three unanswered from Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.), Castillo, and Gorrocino that moved the score to 7-6.
LBSU ended the run with a man-up goal with 1:51 to play in the frame but the scoring wouldn't end there as Gorrocino and De La Mora would find the back of the goal with under a minute to play that gave WC a lead 9-7 heading into the fourth.
This lead wouldn't hold though as the 49ers would explode for five goals, which included the final three of the game. Anastacia Gonzalez (Montebello, Calif.) and Gorrocino would extend the Poet lead back to two on two different occasions with the last coming with 4:33 to play but the final three minutes would belong to LBSU as they would go on to steal the victory away from the Poets with the game-winner coming with :45 seconds to play.
Gorrocino would lead the Poets on offense with three goals, while Castillo, De La Mora, and Gonzalez would each add two.
Whittier has two more non-conference opponents they will face this weekend on Saturday, March 26 when they host Division I Brown (12:00pm) and Div. I Virginia Military Institute (7:00pm).
