CLAREMONT, Calif. — Pomona-Pitzer women's water polo dropped a pair of one-goal games Saturday at Haldeman Pool versus UC San Diego and Azusa Pacific to open the 2026 campaign.
Sagehens 13, UCSD 14
The No. 24 Sagehens opened the 2026 campaign with a near upset over No. 13 UC San Diego, closing the game on a 6-2 run but ultimately falling just short.
Mia Amberger led the charge with five goals and an assist, while
Brienz Lang added two assists and a goal.
Teams traded goals to start the game, with
Paityn Richardson finding the back of the net at the 6:17 mark of the first quarter.
Ayva Magna added a goal before the end of the first but UCSD held a 4-2 lead.
In the second, Richardson and Amberger each scored to tie the game at 4-4. The Tritons, though, scored the next four to go up 8-4. Lang, Amberger and Magna scored in the third as the Sagehens trailed 11-7 heading into the final quarter.
After a UCSD goal, Pomona-Pitzer surged in the fourth. Amberger scored three before a
Sydney Bowns goal brought the Sagehens within two, 13-11. The Tritons then scored with 3:21 left, but
Katie Hugar and
Layla Szymczak traded goals to bring Pomona-Pitzer within a single goal, 14-13. The Sagehens had one final chance to score in the final seconds but couldn't quite convert, ultimately falling 14-13.
Sagehens 9, APU 10
Pomona-Pitzer dropped another one-goal game in its second of the day, despite a four-goal output from Richardson. APU opened the match on a 4-0 run before
Lisbon Zeigler and Hugar found the back of the net. The Cougars scored one more before the half to take a 5-2 lead.
The third quarter started back and forth, with Richardson scoring a pair early and Lang adding a pair of her own later. Richardson scored one more, as the Sagehens trailed 8-6 after three. Szymczak and Richardson scored in the fourth to tie the game at 9-9 with 3:03 left. But APU scored one more and held strong in the final minutes, winning 10-9.
Up Next: Pomona-Pitzer will take part in the Triton Invitational in San Diego, Jan. 30-Feb. 1.
