CMS Women's Water Polo Falls in Overtime to Pomona-Pitzer in SCIAC Opener

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Cooper McKenna had four second-half goals to stake the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team to a 9-7 lead, but Pomona-Pitzer was able to rally to tie the score up in regulation and then take a 12-9 win in overtime on Wednesday evening at Axelrood Pool.

The game was the SCIAC opener for both teams and marked the first time they've met since the last match went overtime, a 14-13 Pomona-Pitzer win the 2023 USA Water Polo Division III national championship.

Neither team led by more than one goal until the Sagehens took a 7-5 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Athenas responded with a 4-0 run. McKenna had back-to-back goals to make it a 7-7 game after three, tying it up on a penalty shot.

Grace Clark then opened the fourth quarter with a goal, and McKenna followed with her fourth of the game, all in the second half, to make it 9-7 with 6:32 to go. Brienz Lang scored for Pomnona-Pitzer in transition with 5:03 to go and Abigail Wiesenthal scored with 2:10 left to make it 9-9. 

Zosia Amberger had two big saves for Pomona-Pitzer in close to keep the game tied in the final minutes, and Natalie Stearns had a big save for CMS in the closing seconds with Pomona-Pitzer on a 6-on-5 to send the contest into overtime. 

The Sagehens took control in the extra session, though, with Wiesenthal putting Pomona-Pitzer ahead to stay 2:51 into extra time. Lang and Kaylee Stigar added tallies for the Sagehens to help seal it. 

Valerie Wraith scored the first two CMS goals to answer Pomona-Pitzer tallies to start the game, and Mia Adsen gave CMS a 3-2 lead just 2:33 into the contest, as the Athenas scored on their first three possessions. The defenses tightened up from there, though, as the score was just 4-4 heading into halftime after Dara Schoolcraft knotted it up for CMS with 1:04 left in the half. 

CMS will be back in action when it travels to Chapman on Saturday for another SCIAC contest at 11 a.m.