ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The ninth-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) women's water polo team fell to number eight seed Connecticut College, 17-2, in the opening round of the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship Tournament this afternoon at Anne Greve Lund Natatorium on the campus of host Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.
The Lyons dip to 0-11 on the season, while the Camels improve to 4-9.
Wheaton will play again tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EDT with its opponent to be determined, while Connecticut College returns tonight to take on top-seeded Austin College at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
The Camels out-shot the Lyons, 41-30 and recorded 23 steals, compared to Wheaton's total of 10.
Junior center Issabel Babikova (South Portland, Maine) led the Lyons' offense with a goal and an assist to go with four steals and a field block, while senior center Izabella Agraz (Moraga, Calif.) netted a goal and drew an exclusion. First year center Ryanna Ritting (Perkasie, Pa.) contributed with an assist, three steals, three field blocks and drew three exclusions. Sophomore goalie Amelia Brown (Acton, Mass.) made nine saves.
Junior driver Emma Luna (Wahiawa, Hawaii) led all players with six points on four goals and two assists in addition to a steal for the Camels. Junior 2-meter defender Anna Taylor (Pleasanton, Calif.) also tallied six points, including a pair of goals and four assists to go with five steals. First year utility player Carly Schneider (Barrington, Ill.) chipped in with a pair of goals, an assist, a steal and two drawn exclusions. Sophomore goalie Grace Isola (San Mateo, Calif.) stopped 13 of 15 shots in 24 minutes of action, while sophomore Maddie Baybeck (Ann Arbor, Mich.) turned away all four shots she faced in eight minutes.
The Connecticut College defense held Wheaton without a marker in the first, third and fourth quarters. The Camels put the game away with seven unanswered goals in the third quarter to take a 14-2 advantage.
Connecticut College scored seven straight goals to open the match, including a pair from first year 2-meter Sarah Nagel (Honolulu, Hawaii) to give the Camels a 7-0 lead with 2:49 remaining in the second quarter.
The Lyons' two goals both came in a span of 90 seconds. Babikova put Wheaton on the board with 2:29 showing on the second quarter clock, before Agraz netted the final goal of the half with 59 ticks to go in the second quarter. The Camels took a 7-2 margin into the intermission.
Connecticut College tallied all seven goals of the third quarter, led by two each from junior 2-meter Ainsley Cornwall (San Mateo, Calif.) and Luna, to take a 14-2 margin.
The Camels scored the final three goals of the contest in the fourth quarter with Luna netting the final marker at the 2:47 mark of the quarter to make it 17-2.
