ERIE, Pa. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's water polo team was defeated by Augustana College (Ill.), 27-2, this morning in a Collegiate Water Polo Association match hosted by Pennsylvania State University Behrend at the Junker Center in Erie, Pa.
The Lyons drop to 0-9 on the season, including 0-7 in CWPA play, while the Vikings win their eighth in a row to improve to 15-3 on the season and 7-0 in league action.
Sophomore utility player Josephine Basco (Painesville, Ohio) and first year center Sophia Romo (Jupiter, Fla.) each netted a goal for Wheaton, while first year goalie Amelia Brown (Acton, Mass.) made three saves.
First year center Alayna Ickert (Flower Mound, Texas) led Augustana with a game-high six goals, while sophomore utility player Jersey Merrick (Chicago, Ill.) tallied five goals. Junior center Casey Barragan (Commerce, Calif.) also contributed with four markers. Junior keeper Lizzie Pelzman (Roseville, Calif.) stopped six shots, while first year goalie Natalie Abril (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) made three saves.
The Vikings offense scored all 13 goals in the first quarter, including four each from Barragan and Ickert.
Augustana added five more goals in the second quarter, paced by a pair of markers from Merrick, to take an 18-0 margin after two quarters of play.
The Vikings received three goals from Merrick to fuel a six-goal third period to increase their advantage to 24-0.
First year attacker Abigail Gatlin (Pearland, Texas) and sophomore attacker Olivia Parry (Wilsonville, Ore.) netted back-to-back goals to open the fourth quarter, before Basco found the back of the net with 2:42 left in the quarter to put the Lyons on the board. Romo scored just 46 seconds later to pull Wheaton within 26-2. Junior utility player Lauren Dickinson (La Habra, Calif.) tallied the final goal of the morning with 80 seconds remaining to give Augustana a 27-2 victory.
Wheaton returns to play later this afternoon, taking on Carthage College at 2:15, p.m., while the Vikings play Grove City College at 11:00 a.m.
