REDLANDS, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team left the Bulldog Invitational with a 19-6 win over Redlands and a 14-12 over California Baptist on Saturday afternoon at the Thompson Aquatic Center.
Season Impact: With the wins, the Sagehens improve to 5-9 overall.
Pomona-Pitzer 19, Redlands 6
The Sagehens were led by Nikki Rubottom who had a team-high four goals in the win. Two other Sagehens tallied hat-tricks as Allie Wong and Lucie Abele each had three goals, while Allison Sullivan Wu and Lulu Gaither had two each and Katherine Cullen, Paulina Correa, Madison Lewis, Kaylee Stigar, and Kit Bennett all had one.
Pomona-Pitzer made a big statement in game one of their Bulldog Invitational with a 16-point win over the host team. The Sagehens piled on goals in the first quarter as they outscored Redlands 7-1 and started out with a 5-0 run. Sullivan Wu, Lewis, Abele and Correa got the Sagehens out to a 5-0 lead while Rubottom and Gaither capped off the best scoring period of the day for the Sagehens for a 7-1 lead.
Redlands opened up the scoring in the second quarter, but Wong responded to keep the lead at six. The Bulldogs answered again with a goal to cut the lead down to 8-3, but the Sagehens ended the first half with two goals from Rubottom to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.
The Sagehens began the second half much like the first with a strong display of offense and outscoring Redlands 6-2 in the third quarter. Gaither, Sullivan Wu and Abele opened the half up with three-straihgt goal for the Sagehens to extend the lead to 13-3, and after a Redlands goal, the Sagehens added three more by Stigar, Cullen and Wong to push the lead to 16-4.
With the game already in hand, the Sagehens added three more to their total in the fourth as Wong, Rubottom and Bennett all found the back of the net as the Sagehens took down Redlands in the Bulldogs Invitational.
Pomona-Pitzer 14, Cal Baptist 12
The Sagehens were led by Abigail Wiesenthal and Lulu Gaither who each netted a hat-trick in the win. Lewis, Abele, and Namlhun Jachung each netted two while Sullivan Wu and Rubottom each had one in the win.
The Sagehens got out to a good start against the Lancers as they outscored CBU 5-3 in the first quarter. Jachung got the scoring going with two in the first, but CBU took a 3-2 lead with 2:45 left in the first. The Sagehens ended the quarter with goals from Gaither and Rubottom to take a 5-3 lead.
After CBU cut it down to one to open the second, the Sagehens added three goals from Wiesenthal, Abele and Lewis to take an 8-5 lead. The Lancers responded with one goal before halftime, but the Sagehens still led 8-6 at the break.
The Lancers started out the second half with a goal to cut it down to one, but the Sagehens kept CBU out of striking distance with goals from Lewis, and Abele to keep the lead at three goals at 10-7. CBU ended the third with two of the final three goals but the Sagehens till held the lead at 11-9 heading into the fourth.
Weisenthal got the Sagehens two goals to open the fourth, but the Lancers made it interesting late as they cut it down to one goal late as the Sagehens led 13-12 with 2:26 left in the game. Pomona-Pitzer sealed the game late with a goal by Gaither to extend the lead to 14-12 and some good defense late gave the Sagehens the win over Cal Baptist.
Up Next: The Sagehens will compete in the Barbara Kalbus Tournament on Friday, February 25th at UC Irvine.
