ERIE, Pa. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's water polo team was defeated by host Mercyhurst University, 17-5, in the opening round of the Curtis Robinette Memorial Invite at Hallman Aquatics Center in Erie, Pa.

The Lyons dip to 0-5 on the season, while the Lakers improve to 2-6.

Wheaton was led by junior attacker Sophia Romo (Jupiter, Fla.) with a pair of goals, while sophomore attacker Fiona Swift (Red Hill, Pa.), first year center Avary Guge (Winchester, Calif.) and first year attacker Claudia Gagné (Orlando, Fla.) each had a goal and a steal for the Lyons. First year goalie Anduena Kraja (Chicago, Ill.) stopped a career-high 19 shots.

Mercyhurst received at least one goal from 11 different scorers in the game. First year utility player Bailey Dunn (Winter Garden, Fla.) and classmate Mercedes Feliciano Fernandez (Monterrey, Nuevo León) each netted a trio of goals for the home team. Senior attacker Krista Domaracki (South Elgin, Ill.) contributed with two goals. 

The Lakers ripped off 10 straight goals to open the game, including five from Dunn. Wheaton got on the board with back-to-back scores from Swift and Gagné to cut the deficit to 10-2 with 3:48 left in the second quarter. 

Mercyhurst reeled off six unanswered markers, capped by a goal from first year center Adriana Boltes Moragues (Barcelona, Spain), to increase its advantage to 16-2 with 5:10 remaining in the contest. Romo netted the next two goals for the Lyons to pull them within 16-4 at the 2:54 mark of the quarter. First year center Kate Martin (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Guge each traded goals to set the final score.

Wheaton returns to action later tonight when it plays Pennsylvania State University Behrend at 6:00 p.m., while the Lakers host Grove City College at 7:30 p.m.