Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Water Polo team got their 2018 season underway Saturday during the CBU Mini Tournament but came away with two losses to Azusa Pacific and Concordia (CA).

Game 1 (Azusa Pacific; L, 17-7)

Whittier who has won two of the last three Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship Titles opened with a tough match-up against the Cougars.

The Purple & Gold fell behind 6-2 after the first period and was held to just one connection in the second to trail 11-3 at the break.  They came out of the half and found it difficult to find the back of the net once again being held to just one strike in the third and despite adding three goals over the final eight minutes it wasn't enough to top Azusa Pacific.

Kendyl Riley (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Marina Daroca Bazan (Barcelona, Spain) led the offense with three goals apiece.  Daroca Bazan also had an assist, while Lindsay Shoaff (Costa Mesa, Calif.) was the only other Poet to find the back of the net.  Between the posts, freshman Noa Cravens (Laie, HI) got the start finishing with 10 saves.  

Game 2 (Concordia; L, 9-7)

The Poets bounced back in game two of the mini-tournament facing a tough Concordia (CA) squad.  It was a tight first half with the Eagles edging WC 6-4 at the break.  Hannah Rodriguez (Riverside, Calif.) and Daroca Bazan both capitalized on power play goals in the first and Riley and Anastacia Gonzalez (Montebello, Calif.) both tacked on goals in the second. 

The margin was cut to one in the third after Whittier outscored CUI 2-1 over the eight minutes with goals coming from Gonzalez and Daroca Bazan. 

But spanning from the end of the third and into the fourth, Concordia carried a 3-0 run that moved the score to 9-6 with 4:14 to play.  Bianca Vera (Los Angeles, Calif.) tried to keep WC in the contest with an even strike with 1:55 to play but that would be the final goal added by either team as the Eagles squeaked out the two-goal victory.

Cravens played the entire 32:00 finishing with five saves and six steals.       

Whittier hosts their annual Mini Tournament this Saturday, February 3 and during it they will take on Cal State Monterey Bay (8:00am), Redlands (1:20pm), and China's National Team (4:00pm).