Clark Scores Five to Lead CMS Women's Water Polo Past Cal Lutheran

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Grace Clark scored five goals, four of them coming in a pivotal 6-0 run, as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team improved to 3-0 in SCIAC with an 11-8 win over Cal Lutheran on Wednesday evening at Axelrood Pool.

CMS improves to 8-7 overall and stays perfect in league play after opening last week with wins over La Verne (11-10 in overtime) and Redlands (6-2). Cal Lutheran suffers its first SCIAC loss as it falls to 2-1 in conference. 

The Athenas started slow and trailed 4-1 midway through the second quarter, before a quick 4-0 run gave CMS the lead heading into halftime. Isabel Del Villar started the run with a transition goal, and Clark scored her first 43 seconds later. After another stop, Caitlin Muñoz took an outlet from goalie Natalie Stearns and converted to tie the score it 4-4, and Clark finished off the half with a goal to make it 5-4, ending a stretch of four goals in a span of 2:17. 

The momentum carried over into the second half, as Clark scored twice more at the 6:59 mark and the 4:04 mark of the third to push the lead to 7-4. The Regals were within 7-5 at the end of the third, but Elise Power scored to start the fourth, and Mia Adsen added her second to make it 9-5. Cal Lutheran scored with 4:52 left, but Christina Kulick answered 14 seconds later to help seal it. 

Stearns had four saves in the first half to get the win, and Mason Spencer added three more in the second half. 

CMS will be back in action when it takes on Chapman on Saturday for an 11 a.m. contest.