Photo: Tony Leon/D3WestPhotography

WHITTIER, Calif. (Apr. 10, 2022) – The Whittier College women's water polo team provided Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the top-ranked team in Division III, its toughest test of the season, falling just short of victory, 7-6. Saturday's game marks Whittier's fourth one-goal defeat of the season, and were the results of those games to be flipped, the Poets would find themselves with 18 wins, threatening the program's single-season wins record.

Nevertheless, Whittier took it to Pomona-Pitzer with an aggressive early-game approach, sticking the Sagehens with three goals in the opening eight minutes. Junior Ally Burke (Las Vegas, Nev. / Bishop Gorman) got the Poets on the board first with a powerplay goal just two minutes into the game, and a second man-up goal from the team's standout junior knotted the game at two goals apiece before a successful strike from senior Teresa Marchetti (Messina, Italy / Liceo La Farina) broke the tie and gave the Poets a one-goal edge heading into the second quarter. Senior Bryanna Santis (Commerce, Calif. / Fullerton College) assisted on Marchetti's goal.

Though the onus fell on the Sagehens to adjust with the Poets leading after one, the home team would win a second consecutive period, this time by a score of 2-1 after Marchetti and Burke again found took advantage of openings in the Sagehens' defense. Whittier took a 5-3 lead into halftime, and the Sagehens' three first-half goals mark their lowest total of the season, a tremendous credit to freshman Alexys Puche (Whittier, Calif. / Rosary) and the Poets' defense. The rookie netminder played the entire game and stood tall by making 13 saves to the tune of a .650 save percentage to keep the home team in the game. She also had three steals. Ultimately, Whittier would run out of gas, as the Sagehens were able to successfully parlay their depth and experience as a group into a second-half turnaround, though Saturday's game should give the Poets a fresh breathe of confidence as the SCIAC Postseason Tournament looms. Burke, who led Whittier with three goals also drew four exclusions and accounted for two of her team's three man-up goals. The Sagehens, meanwhile, came up empty-handed on the man advantage.

Head Coach David Kasa and the Poets will continue their season on Wednesday, Apr. 7 when they rematch Occidental College on the road at 7 p.m.

Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!