CMS Women's Water Polo Opens 2023 with Two Defeats to Ranked Division I Teams

LONG BEACH, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team opened its 2023 campaign with a tough doubleheader, taking on No. 9 Long Beach State and No. 24 Loyola Marymount at Long Beach State's Ken Lingren Aquatics Center on Saturday.

The Athenas fell to the host 49ers in the opener 21-3 and then dropped the nightcap to the Lions 14-6. 

Christina Kulick and first-year Grace Clark each had a pair of goals for CMS in the Loyola Marymount defeat, while Isabel Del Villar and Caitlyn Muñoz added tallies as well. Mason Spencer and Natalie Stearns split the time in goal, with each recording five saves. 

Kulick scored on a penalty shot to tie the score 2-2 at the end of the first quarter. Clark's first goal made it a 4-3 game midway through the third, and the Athenas were still within 6-3 at the break, before the Lions scored seven times in the third to pull away. 

In the opening game against No. 9 Long Beach State, Cooper McKenna scored a pair of goals for CMS, while Dara Schoolcraft added the other. Maribella Munoz-Jimenez was one of three CMS goalies to see playing time and had a team-high four saves. 

CMS will be back in action in two weeks when it hosts its home opener against Fresno Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m.