CLAREMONT, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team split their doubleheader on Tuesday evening, falling to No. 20 Harvard University 11-9 at home before crushing SCIAC opponent Caltech 21-2 on the road.
Season Impact: The Hens improve to a 8-9 record overall and 3-0 in the SCIAC after Tuesdays doubleheader.
Harvard def. Pomona-Pitzer 11-9
The Sagehens came close to snatching an upset over the Division I program, rallying back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game until the Crimson sealed the match on a couple late goals. Jocelyn Castro and Kahea Kahaulelio each scored a hat trick while Bella Villa and Natalie Hill each had three steals.
The Crimson jumped to a 5-0 lead that extended into the second period to start the game. Following a timeout, the Sagehens broke out the slump and came to life on the offensive end as Natalie Hill got the team on board with 4:29 remaining in the second period to make it 5-1. However, the Crimson added to it's lead with 3:20 remaining thanks to a goal from Lana Gorlinski. The Hens trailed 6-1 at halftime.
The Sagehens showed more life in the second half, rallying for four straight goals, including a 5-meter penalty from Kahea to close the gap 6-5. With 2:11 remaining in the third period, Harvard managed to pad their lead thanks to a goal from Mathilde Ribordy to make it 7-5. Later in the fourth period, with the Hens trailing 8-7, Castro ripped a shot off a rebound from Nohea Kahaulelio's miss to tie the game. However, the joy was short-lived as the Crimson rallied back with three straight goals to regain the lead. Harvard held on to win 11-9.
Pomona-Pitzer def. Caltech 21-2
The Sagehens bounced back with a lopsided 21-2 victory over the Caltech Beavers on Tuesday evening. Colleen Woo led the Hens with five goals while Natasha Rosenthal added three goals, two assists, and five steals. The Beavers could not match up with the Sagehens' depth and offense, as Pomona-Pitzer outshot their opponent 32 to 14.
Janelle Lewis opened up the scoring in the first period, converting off a pass from Rosenthal just two and a half minutes into the game. Woo followed with two straight goals as the Hens shutout the Beavers with a huge 7-0 run in the first period. The Hens maintained their momentum in the second period as Woo scored two more as the team went on a 3-0 run to take a 10-0 lead. Caltech briefly responded with two goals, but the Hens continued to attack, closing the first half with a 15-2 lead.
The Sagehens closed out the game with eight straight goals while not allowing the Beavers to net once, cruising to a 21-2 finale.
Up Next: The Sagehens will host SCIAC opponent University of La Verne on Saturday, March 17 at 11 a.m.
