WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's water polo team was defeated by Carthage College, 19-5, this evening at neutral host Washington & Jefferson College's Henry Natatorium in Washington, Pa. 

The Lyons fall to 0-13, while the Firebirds improve to 5-13. 

Sophomore attacker Ryanna Ritting (Perkasie, Pa.) tallied three points, including a pair of goals and added five steals and a pair of draw exclusions to lead Wheaton. Sophomore attacker Mackenzie Kirby (Blue Ash, Ohio) and junior attacker Amelia Brown (Acton, Mass.) each scored a goal and drew an exclusion. Senior attacker Issabel Babikova (South Portland, Maine) also added a goal for the Lyons. First year goalie Anduena Kraja (Chicago, Ill.) recorded six saves in addition to a pair of steals. 

Junior attacker Kamille Graham (West Jordan, Utah) and senior attacker Brenna Carstens (Coronado, Calif.) each netted four goals to pace Carthage. Senior attacker Yamila Areizaga scored three times as well. 

Graham and Carstens each scored in the opening minutes of the first quarter to give the Firebirds a 2-0 lead. Ritting cut the deficit in half with a marker for Wheaton with 5:34 to go in the opening quarter. Carthage closed out the period with three straight goals, including a score from sophomore attacker Veronica Gut (Desplaines, Ill.) to give Carthage a 5-1 margin.

The Firebirds continued their momentum into the second quarter, netting five goals in a row, including two from Carstens, to increase the advantage to 10-1. Babikova found the back of the net for the Lyons with 2:40 showing in the quarter to pull the Lyons to within 10-2. Carthage responded with three more goals and took a 13-2 lead following a goal from Areizaga with 28 ticks left in the quarter. Brown scored just before the final horn of the second half to cut the difference to 13-3 for Wheaton at the intermission.

Graham tallied the only two goals of the third quarter to bump the Firebirds' cushion to 15-3. Graham continued her hot streak with the first marker of the fourth quarter, before Kirby matched it for the Lyons to keep the margin at 16-4. Carthage tacked on two more scores, before Ritting and Carthage sophomore attacker Morrigan Bushroe-Stumpf exchanged the final two goals of the night.

Wheaton returns to the pool tomorrow in Washington, Pa. at 8:00 a.m. when it takes on Austin College, while the Firebirds play Connecticut College at 9:15 a.m.