CAMBRIDGE, MA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team left the Bruno Tournament 2-2 after they split day two with a thrilling 14-12 overtime win over St. Francis and a 14-11 loss to Harvard on Sunday morning at Blodgett Pool.
Season Impact: with the split, the Sagehens stay even at 4-4 on the year.
Pomona-Pitzer 14, St. Francis 12 OT
The Sagehens were led by Brienz Lang who went for a career-high four goals in the win. Alexandra Szczerba and Namlhun Jachung also netted hat-tricks for the Sagehens with three each while Abigail Wiesenthal, Nikki Rubottom, Lauren Smith, and Paulina Correa had one.
The Red Flash had the advantage early after they got out on top with the opening goal of the game. Jachung netted the first goal of the day for the Sagehens, and Smith added another in the first but three unanswered goals at the end of the first game St. Francis a 5-2 lead.
Szczerba opened the second quarter with a goal, but the Red Flash answered right back to keep their three-goal lead. Lang started to get going on offense after she netted back-to-back goals to cut the lead down to 6-5 heading into halftime.
Lang continued to lead the Sagehens' offense with her third-straight goal to open the third quarter, but St. Francis answered back with back-to-back goals to make it 8-6. Rubottom and Szczerba scored to bring the Sagehens within one and Wiesenthal netted a huge goal at the end of the third to bring it even at 9-9 heading into the fourth.
The two teams went back and forth with Jachung and Correa keeping it even at 11-11 with Correa's goal coming at 30 seconds left in the fourth to force overtime. Jachung and Szczerba got the Sagehens out to a two-goal lead in the first overtime period and Lang sealed the win with a goal in the second overtime to make it 14-11 with two minutes to play. St. Francis got one more back on the scoresheet but the Sagehens were able to hold off St. Francis for the overtime win.
Pomona-Pitzer 11, Harvard 14
The Sagehens were led by Szczerba who netted her second hat-trick of the day with three goals in the loss. Sydney Bianchi, Ayva Magna, Gabby Lewis, Jachung, Lang, Bella McGowan, Smith, and Correa all had one apiece as well.
The Crimson were aided in their victory by a big first period that gave them a 4-2 lead out of the gate. The two teams went back for forth for the first two goals with Szczerba and Lang finding the back of the net, but the Crimson ended with the final two goals of the first to take the lead.
The Sagehens started the second quarter strong and went on to take the lead after three-straight goals from Szczerba, Lewis, and Smith to take a 5-4 lead, but the Crimson ended the second quarter strong with three goals in three minutes to hold a 7-6 lead over the Sagehens heading into halftime.
Harvard started the third with a goal to keep the Sagehens out of striking distance, but Pomona-Pitzer responded to get it back within one goal by Magna to make it 8-7 with just under four minutes to play in the third. The Crimson took their largest lead of the day so far after two-straight goals made it a three-goal deficit for the Sagehens at 10-7, but Szczerba pulled one back at the end of the third to make it 10-8 going into the fourth.
The Sagehens fell behind early in the fourth and allowed Harvard to take its largest lead of the game at four goals with a 12-8 lead that gave the Sagehens just over six minutes to make a comeback. Jachung and Bianchi pulled the Sagehens back within two goals at 12-10 but the Crimson were able to hold off the Sagehens late in the fourth in their home pool to hand Pomona-Pitzer their second loss of the Bruno Tournament.
Up Next: The Sagehens will next head to the Barbara Kalbus Tournament on Friday, February 24th in Irvine, California.
