Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's water polo team ended the Claremont-M-S Athenas three game winning streak Wednesday evening pulling off the 10-7 victory at Axelrood Pool.

The win marks the Poets fifth straight victory as they improve to 19-7, 5-0 SCIAC and remain tied atop the standings with La Verne.  This year the Poets are 3-0 against CMS and look to keep their winning streak alive this Saturday, April 9 as they host Caltech at 11:00am before traveling to Citrus College to take on Azusa Pacific beginning at 3:30pm in their last non-conference match-up. 

The Purple & Gold held the Athenas scoreless in the first quarter, while Cynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.) would put WC on top 1-0 with a man-up goal at the 3:57 mark.

Castillo added her second a minute into the second quarter but the lead would be short-lived as CMS would answer with two of their own that deadlocked the game.  But Whittier's Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.), Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.), and Angelica Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) would respond in a big way adding three unanswered that gave the Poets a 5-2 lead at the break.

The third quarter saw the most goals scored with both teams combining for seven.  Hernandez and Jasmine Villalpando (Commerce, Calif.) would extend the Poet lead to 7-2 out of the break.  The Athena's stopped the run with two but WC would end the third period on a 3-1 run with goals from Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.), Hernandez and Rivera that put Whittier on top 10-5.

The Athenas would outscore the Poets in the fourth and held them scoreless over the final eight minutes pulling within three at 10-7 but the comeback would come up short as Whittier would hold on for the victory.

Hernandez led the Poets with three goals, while Castillo and Rivera registered two apiece.