Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Aracelia Aldrete led the Athenas with four goals on Saturday. (photo credit: Alicia Tsai)
Aracelia Aldrete led the Athenas with four goals on Saturday. (photo credit: Alicia Tsai)
Posted: Mar 10, 2018

Late Goals Push Athenas Past Leopards in Axelrood Pool

Photos Box Score

CLAREMONT, Calif. – La Verne's Jassmine Kezman scored three-straight goals to begin the fourth period to tie Saturday's women's water polo match at 7-7. The Athenas battled back in the final minutes of play to score three unanswered goals to earn a 10-7 victory over the Leopards. Roxy Kiessling (CMC), Claire Baxter (CMC), and Aracelia Aldrete (CMC) scored in the final 2:19 of the game to help the Athenas pull out the SCIAC victory.

The Athenas were in control for a vast majority of Saturday's contest after an early 4-0 run that spanned the end of the first and beginning of the second periods. Thanks in large part to that run, the Athenas held a 5-2 lead at the half.

CMS continued to control into the late portions of the third period. With the Athenas leading 7-3, La Verne's Emily Mena scored with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter to make it a three-goal game at 7-4. Kezman followed with three goals in the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 7-7.

Amelia Ayala found Roxy Kiessling, who connected with 2:19 remaining in the game to put the Athenas on top at 8-7. A five-meter goal from Claire Baxter and a breakaway tally from Aldrete completed the scoring and gave CMS the 10-7 victory. The win improves the Athenas to 7-5 on the season.

While the scoreboard showed a close game, CMS held the vast majority of possession and play on the afternoon. CMS outshot the Leopards 32-11 in the game.

Aracelia Aldrete led the Athenas and was tied for game-high with four goals on the afternoon. Jessica Gaffney (CMC) was the only other Athena to score multiple goals in the game, scoring two. Four other Athenas tallied in the three-goal victory.

For La Verne, Jassmine Kezman and Emily Mena accounted for all seven goals. Kezman tallied four on four shots while Mena notched three in the loss.

With the victory, the Athenas improve to 2-1 in the SCIAC and will next be in action on Thursday when they host Connecticut College at 12:00 p.m. and Occidental at 7:00 p.m.