Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – In a highly anticipated Women's Water Polo game this morning at the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center, the Purple & Gold were able to edge the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens 9-8 to remain undefeated in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play.
Whittier improves to 10-12 and a perfect 2-0 in SCIAC, while Pomona-Pitzer drops to 8-16, 2-1 SCIAC.
It was a physical contest throughout and it came down to the final two minutes of the contest.
Game was tied at 2-2 after the first quarter of play with goals coming from Isabella Gorrocino (East Los Angeles, Calif.), which came on a 5-meter penalty and Arlin De La Mora (Commerce, Calif.).
The Sagehens gained the slight edge at the half outscoring the Purple & Gold 2-1 in the second frame with the Poets lone goal coming from Zyania Morales (Commerce, Calif.). But it would be the 3rd quarter that helped Whittier as they came out finding the back of the goal three times, while holding PP to just one. After falling behind 5-3 in the early stages of the frame, Jenel Rivera (Whittier, Calif.), Lindsay Shoaff (Costa Mesa, Calif.), and De La Mora would go back to back to back that turned the momentum back with the Poets giving them a 6-5 lead.
The final eight minutes and every possession down the stretch proved crucial. Pomona-Pitzer knotted things up on their first possession but Rivera would respond capitalizing on a man-up. Kendyl Riley (Huntington Beach, Calif.) added her first of the game soon after that stretched the margin to two with 4:37 to play but over the next minute and a half the Sagehens rallied with two of their own that tied the game up with 3:07 to play.
Whittier then drew an exclusion at the 1:51 mark, which proved huge since it sent Burke out of the game. The Poets then had a 6-on-5 situation thereafter and they would capitalize with Anastacia Gonzalez (Montebello, Calif.) connecting for the game winner.
Katia Montoya (Riverside, Calif.) again started between the posts and finished with seven saves, while the Sagehens' Ashsa Earwood would total nine.
Whittier returns this evening, March 25 at 6:00pm as they host Hartwick University beginning at 6:00pm.
