Defense Locks Down as CMS Women's Water Polo Defeats La Verne

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team did not allow a goal until the closing seconds of the third quarter as it built a 14-0 lead on its way to a 17-5 win over La Verne on Wednesday evening at Axelrood Pool.

The two teams came in separated by just one game in the SCIAC standings, but CMS was able to double its margin as it improves to 15-8 overall and 7-1 in SCIAC, while La Verne slips to 5-3 in league play. 

Mason Spencer had five saves in the first half and did not allow a goal in helping CMS earn an 11-0 lead at the break. Offensively, Cooper McKenna scored three of the first five Athena goals in the first quarter before finishing with a game-high four. Caitlin Muñoz and Isabel Del Villar each added three, while Grace Clark had two goals and two assists and Valerie Wraith scored twice. 

McKenna scored on the game's first possession, with Wraith making it 2-0 at the 6:20 mark. McKenna scored again to stretch the lead to 3-0, and after Muñoz scored with 3:23 left in the third, McKenna made it a first-quarter hat trick with 1:13 left to stretch the lead to 5-0, before Muñoz scored her second with 24 seconds left. 

Del Villar and Olivia Cairns scored on the first two possessions of the second quarter, with McKenna adding her fourth at the 4:16 mark. Clark closed out the half with two breakaway goals 56 seconds apart to make it an 11-0 lead at the break.

Wraith, Mia Adsen and Del Villar scored third-quarter goals to stretch the lead to 14-0, before La Verne broke the ice on a Sumi Rudisky goal with 14 seconds left in the third. 

CMS will be back in actyion on Wednesday when it travels to Caltech, before returning home to face Chapman on Saturday, April 13 at 11 a.m.