Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Water Polo team nearly pulled off the sweep Saturday but couldn't pull off the overtime win against Azusa Pacific falling 9-8 before holding off Uni. of Toronto 8-4.
Game 1 (Azusa Pacific, L, 9-8 OT)
Whittier struck first from Isabella Gorrocino (Montebello, Calif.) and took a 2-1 lead after the first quarter following a goal from Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.). After seeing the game all tied up at 2-2, Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.) found the back of the goal that again put WC in front and Anastacia Gonzalez (Montebello, Calif.) followed suit with a man-up goal that stretched the lead to two.
With :15 seconds to play in the half, Lindsay Shoaff (Costa Mesa, Calif.) got in the mix and added her first of the game that gave Whittier a 5-2 lead going into intermission.
Azusa and Whittier swapped goals in the third quarter that kept the margin at three goals. Both strikes coming from Rivera and Gorrocino.
Then in the fourth, the offense stalled as Whittier was shutout 3-0, with the equalizer coming with 1:06 to play forcing the game into OT. In extra time Kendyl Riley (Huntington Beach, Calif.) put the Poets on top but saw APU come back down with :18 seconds left to tie up the game once again. This forced a second period, which Azusa was able to pull off as they struck early, which proved to be the game-winner.
Game 2 (Uni. of Toronto, W, 8-4)
It was all Whittier in the second contest. Morales and Gorrocino put WC on top 2-0 after the first quarter and there they stayed. Gonzalez added one in the second but the game was still a two goal differential at the half.
In the second half a combined six goals were scored with three coming from Morales, Rivera, and Shoaff. This moved the score to 6-4 and the Poets would add insurance to that outscoring Uni. of Toronto 2-0 in the final period to pull off the 8-4 win.
Katia Montoya (Riverside, Calif.) got the start and finished with three saves. Caitlin Bronzan (Brentwood, Calif.) came in the second half and finished with five saves.
Whittier travels to the Claremont Convergence this weekend, March 3-4. There they will take on St. Francis (NY) (Mar. 3 @ 12:30pm), Fresno Pacific (Mar. 3 @ 4:15pm), Sonoma State (Mar. 4 @ 1:00pm), and Concordia (Calif.) (Mar. 4 @ 6:00pm)
