Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
Whittier, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Water Polo team extended their winning streak to seven games Saturday rolling past Caltech in a SCIAC bout before holding off Azusa Pacific in their final non-conference game of the year.
Whittier hosted Caltech in the morning and rolled winning 15-6 keeping their perfect Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) record intact at 6-0. They then traveled to Citrus College and took on Azusa Pacific where they won 11-9.
The Purple & Gold have put together one of the best single season performances in program history thus far with a stunning 21-7, 6-0 SCIAC Record and hold onto one of the longest winning streaks as well.
Game 1 (Caltech; W, 15-6)
Head Coach Justin Pudwill rested his starting lineup in the first game getting his reserves quality reps. Hannah Ellet (Merced, Calif.), Lindsay Shoaff (Costa Mesa, Calif.), and Kaitlyn Vera (Fullerton, Calif.) all added goals in the first period to put WC on top 3-0.
Vera added her second strike 30 seconds into the second quarter before Caltech would eventually get on the board moving the score to 4-1 at the break.
Out of the half a combined 10 goals were scored with seven coming from Whittier. Vera registered three and Kayanna Heffner (Bend, OR) added two. Jenna Cohen (Fontana, Calif.) and Anaissa Paul (Chula Vista, Calif.) would add the other two.
The score would be 11-4 after the first three periods and the Poets didn't back down outscoring the Beavers 4-2 in the final 8:00 with all four goals coming from four different players.
Vera led the offense with five goals and Heffner totaled three.
Game 2 (Azusa Pacific; W, 11-9)
Whittier held off Azusa Pacific for the second time this season and are now 2-0 against the Cougars. The previous time these two teams met was back in the season opener on January 30 during the CBU Tournament where the Poets won 13-11.
The result was the same this time around. Whittier went ahead 2-0 after the first quarter, while holding APU scoreless. Cynthia Castillo (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Arlin De La Mora (Commerce, Calif.) would add the strikes.
The Cougars found the goal three times in the second period, but still trailed at the half 6-3 as Whittier's Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.) and Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.) would each register two goals apiece.
Out of the half it was all APU outscoring WC 4-2 to pull within one 8-7 forcing the game to be decided in the fourth. De La Mora stretched the lead back to two right out of the gates and Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.) would add her first of the game minutes later to make the score 10-8. The cougars would stay close however again pulling within one at the 2:35 mark but that would be the last time they found the back of the goal as Castillo sealed the win with a man-up goal with 1:21 to play.
Morales and De La Mora each registered three goals apiece, while Gorrocino and Castillo each had two.
Whittier has a big week with two conference games remaining on their schedule. They take on Chapman University on the road this Wednesday, April 13 at 7:00pm before hosting La Verne on Saturday, April 16 on senior day with game time set for 11:00am.
