CMS Women's Water Polo Defeats Whittier in Final Seconds for Split at Redlands Invitational

REDLANDS, Calif. - Mia Adsen scored the game-winning goal, her third of the contest, with just two seconds left to break an 8-8 tie and give the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team a 9-8 win over SCIAC rival Whittier on Saturday at the Redlands Bulldog Invitational.

CMS also dropped its opening game to Division I UC San Diego 17-8, as it moves to 2-2 on the season with the split, with both of the wins coming against SCIAC teams in non-league games (the first coming against Occidental at USC). 

The score was knotted at 8-8 with just six seconds remaining, when the Athenas called a timeout. Goalie Jessica Salaz triggered the re-start to Adsen, and she was able to fire one home with just two seconds remaining to give CMS the win. 

CMS used a 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead early in the second half. Maddy Menard started the run with a tying goal with 2:57 left in the half, and Isabel Dhillon gave the Athenas a 4-3 halftime lead. Christina Kulick and Dara Schoolcraft then started the second half with two quick goals to make it a 6-3 CMS advantage, before the Poets came back to tie it 7-7 with 4:46 left. 

Dhillon gave CMS back the lead with 4:05 to go on a 6-on-5, but Whittier's Amelia Bennett answered with 2:46 to go, to set up Adsen's game-winner. 

Kulick also had two goals for the Athenas, while Menard had two assists to go with a goal. Maribella Munoz-Jimenez had six saves in the first half, allowing three goals. 

In the first game of the day, CMS dropped a 17-8 decision to UC San Diego, although the Athenas had a solid second half wit h seven goals scored. Cooper McKenna led the way with two goals and an assist, while Natalie Clark had two goals, and Adsen, Elise Power, Emily McElroy and Courtney Coleman each had one. 

CMS will be back in action on Wednesday for its home opener against Cal Lutheran at 4 p.m.