SAN DIEGO, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team split in the final day of the Triton Invitational with a 6-5 loss in overtime to San Diego State and an 8-6 win over Santa Clara in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Canyonview Pool.
Season Impact: With the split, the Sagehens earned their first win of 2019 and improve to 1-5 overall.
San Diego State, 6 Pomona-Pitzer 5
The Sagehens were led by senior Janelle Lewis who led the team with two goals in the loss.
Both teams started out the scoring late in the first period but it was the Aztecs who struck with the opening goal of the game with 1:02 remaining to take a 1-0 lead. The Sagehens responded with a goal from Lewis off of an assist from senior Nohea Kahauellio just 30 seconds later to end the first tied at 1-1.
The Sagehens pulled ahead in the second period as their defense held San Diego State scoreless. Lewis notched her second goal of the game and gave the Sagehens a slight 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
San Diego State came back with two goals in the third as they outscored the Sagehens 2-1 and tied the game at 3-3 heading into the fourth. The Aztecs got ahead early in the fourth as they scored a goal with four minutes remaining. The Sagehens went into the final seconds needing a goal and found one as senior Kyla Pickell scored with one second remaining to end regulation tied at 4-4 and forced overtime.
Pomona-Pitzer started out the first overtime period with a goal from senior Anna Yu to take a 5-4 lead after the conclusion of the first overtime period. The Sagehens held on late in the second overtime period but the Aztecs notched the tying goal with 1:08 remaining and forced a sudden death overtime period. San Diego State got an early powerplay and converted on it as the Sagehens fell in the opening game of day two of the Triton Invitational.
Pomona-Pitzer 8, Santa Clara 6
Pomona-Pitzer showed some good defense in the first half as they shut out Santa Clara in the first two quarters. The Sagehens scored one goal in each quarter in the first half as Lewis scored a powerplay goal late in the first and Kahea Kahaulelio also converted a powerplay goal off of an assist from freshman Allison Sulivan Wu to take a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
Santa Clara got back into the game as they scored back-to-back goals to tie the game at 2-2, but the Sagehens immediately responded with two goals to end the third with Nohea Kahaulelio getting on the board and senior Samantha Martinez scored off of a five-meter penalty shot to take a 4-2 lead heading into the fourth.
Pomona-Pitzer opened the fourth period with a goal from freshman Nadia Paquin, but Santa Clara came fighting back with four-straight goals to take a 6-5 lead late over the Sagehens. Pomona-Pitzer came back with a goal in the final minute of the match by Pickell and forced their second overtime period of the day.
Pomona-Pitzer shut out Santa Clara in both overtime periods and added two goals from Wu and Bella Villa as the Sagehens earned their first win of 2019 in the Triton Invitational.
Up Next: The Sagehens will next face Concordia Irvine in the UR Invitational on Saturday, February 16th at 1:30 p.m.
