SANTA BARBARA, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Water Polo team opened up its 2024 season with a split at the UC Santa Barbara Invite with a 13-12 win over No. 25 Marist and a 10-2 loss to No. 12 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday afternoon at Campus Pool.
 
Pomona-Pitzer 13, Marist 12
 
The Sagehens had four players share a team-high two goals as Kaylee Stigar, Brienz Lang, Namlhun Jachung, and Mia Amberger combined for eight of the Sagehens' 13 goals. Abigail Wiesenthal, Madison Lewis, Gabby Lewis, Lulu Gaither, and Ava Bennett all earned a goal as well in the win.
 
Wiesenthal and Lang got the Sagehens going in the first with the first two goals of the game before Marist answered with two of their own to make it 2-2. The Sagehens ended the first with a goal from Lewis to take a 3-2 lead into the second.
 
A high-scoring second quarter saw nine total goals between the two teams with Marist netting five and the Sagehens getting four. Gaither, Jachung, Bennett, and Amberger found the back of the net with the game squared at 7-7.
 
The Sagehens got back on top to start the third with a goal from Jachung to make it 8-7 and Lang earned her second of the game to give the Sagehens a two-goal advantage with 4:38 left in the third. Marist answered with three-straight goals to take the lead from the Sagehens, but back-to-back goals from Lewis and Stigar put the Sagehens back up 11-10 heading into the fourth.
 
Pomona-Pitzer took their largest lead of the game with the first two goals of the fourth quarter from Amberger and Stigar to hold a 13-10 lead over Marist with 3:20 to play.  Marist ended the game with the final two goals of the day, but the Sagehens were able to hold off the attack for their opening win of the season.
 
Pomona-Pitzer 2, UC Santa Barbara 10
 
Ayva Magna and Abigail Wiesenthal scored the only two goals of the game for the Sagehens in the loss.
 
UC Santa Barbara started with the first two goals of the game before the Sagehens answered with a goal from Magna to make it 2-1.  UCSB went on to net the final two goals as well to hold a 4-1 advantage.
 
The Sagehen defense did well against the No. 12 ranked Gauchos after they held them to just two goals in each of the final three quarters. Wiesenthal also netted a goal for the Sagehens in the second quarter, but the offense stalled out as the Sagehens ended their opening weekend with a loss to the tournament host.
 
Up Next: The Sagehens will next head to the east coast to participate in the Bruno Tournament hosted by Harvard and Brown with games on Saturday, February 3^rd against La Salle and Brown.