CLAREMONT, Calif. – In a back and forth battle in the Sixth Street Rivalry, the Sagehens came out on top, defeating the Athenas 11-9, the team's first victory over CMS since 2016. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps struck first and found their selves with a 5-2 lead with 10:57 left in the half but Pomona-Pitzer clawed back to tie the game 6-6 heading into the halftime break. In the second half, the Sagehens led by as much as four with a 10-4 advantage but CMS tallied twice in 34 seconds to keep things interesting. Carly Sullivan tallied with 2:07 on the clock to give the Sagehens some insurance. A goal with six seconds on the clock was too little too late as the Sagehens defeated their rival to hold onto their perfect record. 

Maggie Sweeney led the Sagehens with four goals while Eleanor Mackey chimed in for three goals. 

Early Battle

The Sagehens and Athenas wasted little time getting on the board as CMS struck just 3:10 into the contest. Pomona-Pitzer's Maggie Sweeney responded to even the game at 1-1 with 24:26 left on the clock. The Sagehens then took their first lead of the night after Caroline Worthington cashed in on a free position shot to make it 2-1 with 20:59 left in the half. CMS answered right back to tie the game again, making it 2-2 with 16:23 on the clock.

Athenas Surge

With the score at 2-2, the Athenas went on a 3-0 run over the course of three minutes and 40 seconds to take a 5-2 lead over the Sagehens. Claire LeBlanc found the cage to bring Pomona within two but Athenas' attack tallied one more to make it 6-3 with 4:47 remaining in the half, setting the stage for Eleanor Mackey.

Mackey Attack

Eleanor Mackey scored her first goal of the night off a free position shot with just under four minutes left to play in the half, setting the score at 6-4 in favor of CMS. Mackey was given another free position shot with 2:01 on the clock and didn't disappoint as she made it 6-5, scoring her second one of the night. Mackey's best shot of the night came with 41 seconds left in the half. Mackey stepped up and ripped one past the goalie to tie the game at 6-6 heading into halftime. 

Sweeney Show

With momentum on their sign, the Sagehens took their second lead of the night after Maggie Sweeney sent one in just 2:45 into the second half. Sweeney earned the hat trick with 18:13 remaining, giving the Sagehens an 8-6 lead over the Athenas. Just under three minutes later, it was Caroline Worthington's turn to score as she found the net to give Pomona-Pitzer a 9-6 lead midway through the second half. After 7:23 of scoreless play, the Sagehens' Maggie Sweeney earned her fourth goal of the night to give her team a 10-6 lead, the largest of the night.  

Big Finale

With just over five minutes on left in regulation, the Athenas tried to mount a comeback. Allie Hill got the scoring started for CMS. The Athenas had a trio of free position shots after Hills' goal but two shots went wide while Emily Vomvas made a save to keep CMS at eight. Carly Sullivan interrupted the Athenas' comeback attempt with a goal of her own to make it 11-8 with 2:07 left to play. CMS closed the game with a goal six seconds before the buzzer but the comeback attempt was too little too late as the Sagehens defeated their rival for the first time since 2016.

What's Up Next

The Sagehens will be back in action on Mar. 3 at 7:00 p.m. when they host the Ladies from Kenyon College.