WHITTIER, CA. – The No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team came back for the 7-6 win on the road against SCIAC opponent Whittier on Saturday morning at the Slade Aquatics Center.
Season Impact: with the win, the Sagehens improve to 17-15 overall and 11-0 in SCIAC play.
The Sagehens were led by Namlhun Jachung who netted the only hat-trick of the game with three goals in the win. Abigail Wiesenthal notched two goals while Lucie Abele and Lulu Gaither each chipped in with one. May Lin and Zosia Amberger split time in goal for the Sagehens while Lin stopped six shots and Amberger with one save.
The Poets got out in front after they took advantage of a player-up opportunity to make it 1-0 within the first two minutes of the game. The Sagehens responded with Gaither and Jachung on back-to-back possessions to take their first lead of the game at 2-1, but Whittier responded off of another powerplay to tie the game at 2-2 and eventually reclaimed the lead at 3-2 to end the first.
Whittier extended their lead off of their third powerplay goal of the first to make it 4-2 before Jachung netted her second of the contest to bring the Sagehens back to within one goal at 4-3 with 2:26 left before halftime. Much like the first quarter, the Poets netted the final goal of the second to take a 5-3 advantage into halftime.
The Sagehens started out the second half with some good offensive production as Wiesenthal brought the Sagehens within one and Jachung netted her hat-trick goal to tie the game at 5-5 midway through the third. The two goals by the Sagehens would be the only two of the third as the defense shutout the Poets in the third to take a tied 5-5 game into the fourth.
Whittier drew another exclusion to open the fourth and scored just after the powerplay concluded to take a 6-5 lead early in the fourth. Whittier held the lead for the majority of the fourth but the Sagehens came back late with goals on back-to-back possession as Abele netted the tying goal and Wiesenthal came back to give the Sagehens a 7-6 lead with just under two minutes remaining. The Sagehen defense came up big late in the game and Pomona-Pitzer was able to fight off the Poets on the road and hang out for the comeback win.
Up Next: The Sagehens will next travel to CMS on Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m.
