NORTON, Mass. – First year attacker Ava Biancheri (Westborough, Mass.) scored with 6:02 remaining in the first quarter to record the first goal in Wheaton College (Mass.) women's water polo history in a 19-3 loss to visiting Connecticut College this evening at Balfour Natatorium in the first-ever match played during the Lyons' inaugural season.
The Lyons dip to 0-1 on the season, while the Camels, who received votes in the most recent Collegiate Water Polo Association national poll, improve to 1-0.
Connecticut College out-shot Wheaton, 32-23 and connected on 59.4% of its shots, while holding the Lyons to a 13% mark.
Junior utility player Allie Taylor (Raleigh, N.C.) netted a goal and added a steal, while first year center Sophia Romo (Jupiter, Fla.) tallied a marker as well. Junior center Izabella Agraz (Moraga, Calif.) registered an assist and first year goalie Amelia Brown (Acton, Mass.) made six saves and added an assist.
Sophomore Gigi Sandull (Kenilworth, N.J.) scored six goals and added a pair of assists to lead the Connecticut College women's water polo team over host Wheaton College (Mass.) Sandull added a steal to her night for the Camels, while sophomore Ainsley Cornwall (San Mateo, Calif.) tallied five goals to go with a steal. Senior Sarah Franco (Weston, Conn.) racked up six points on a pair of goals and four assists in addition to a pair of steals and sophomore Anna Taylor (Pleasanton, Calif.) collected five points, including four assists, and came up with two steals. First year starting keeper Maddie Bayback (Ann Arbor, Mich.) stopped seven of nine shots and played the first and third quarters, while classmate Grace Isola (San Mateo, Calif.) saw action in the second and fourth quarters, while turning away six of seven shots with each goalie playing 16 minutes.
Connecticut College wasted no time getting on the board with Franco scoring just 13 seconds into the match to spark four unanswered goals in a span of 53 seconds for the visitors. Sandull scored three times during the opening run for the Camels, before Biancheri made history for Wheaton with its first-ever goal with 6:02 showing on the first quarter clock on an assist from Brown.
Connecticut College scored four of the final five goals of the quarter, including a pair of scores from Cornwall, to take an 8-2 advantage after one quarter of play. Romo found the back of the net for the Lyons on a feed from Agraz to cut the deficit to 7-2 at the 3:37 mark of the first quarter.
Allie Taylor scored just 18 seconds into the second quarter to give Wheaton the first marker of the quarter and pull it to within 8-3.
The Camels held the Lyons scoreless for the final 23:42 of play, while scoring 11 straight goals. Sandull led Connecticut College with a trio of scores in the quarter. Cornwall scored three times, while senior Gicel Zuniga (Norwalk, Conn.) tallied a pair of goals to account for all five of Connecticut College's markers in the final quarter of play.
The Camels and Wheaton both return to action this weekend with action in the CWPA Weekend at W&J in Washington, Pa. Conn. College takes on Grove City College on March 9 at 11:00 a.m., while the Lyons play host Washington & Jefferson College on March 8 at 7:30 p.m.
