NORTON, Mass. — The No. 9 seed Wheaton College (Mass.) women's water polo team was defeated by No. 5 seed Austin College, 23-5, this afternoon in the second round of the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship Tournament at Wheaton's Balfour Natatorium in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons fall to 0-19 on the year, while the Kangaroos improve to 7-9.
Austin dominated the match with a 46-16 shot advantage and came up with 18 steals in the game.
Sophomore attacker Ryanna Ritting (Perkaskie, Pa.) netted two goals and added an assist and a steal to pace Wheaton, while junior attacker Sophia Romo (Jupiter, Fla.) scored two goals, drew three exclusions and came up with a steal. First year attacker Claudia Gagné (Orlando, Fla.) netted a goal in addition to drawing two exclusions. First year goalie Andeuena Kraja (Chicago, Ill.) registered seven saves for the Lyons.
Junior utility player Joslyn Dimitri (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) tallied a game-high six points with five goals and an assist to lead the No. 5 seed Austin CollegeDimitri added a pair of steals and drew an exclusion for the Kangaroos, while senior center Bianca Gallegos (Albuquerque, N.M.) netted four goals and came up with a steal. Senior attacker McKenna Malone (Flower Mound, Texas) contributed with three goals, two assists, two drawn exclusions and a steal. Junior keeper Ashley Easley (San Antonio, Texas) stopped four of eight shots in the first 24 minutes of play, before yielding to senior goalie Michaela Hautzinger (Aubrey, Texas) for the fourth quarter, where she denied one of two shots.
Dimitri scored two of the first three goals of the game to help the 'Roos to a 3-0 lead at the 4:41 mark of the opening quarter.
Ritting put Wheaton on the board with a goal coming at 2:19 before Romo followed with a marker of her own. She came up with a steal at the mid-point of the pool and lofted a shot from 15 yards out that landed in the back of the net to pull the Blue and White within 3-2 with just eight ticks left in the first quarter.
Austin ripped off eight straight goals, including all six of the second quarter scores. Gallegos led the Kangaroos during the run with a pair of markers from Gallegos to give Austin an 11-2 advantage with 5:40 to go in the third period.
Ritting scored again for the Lyons to make it 11-3 with 5:15 showing on the third quarter clock, but the Kangaroos tallied six of the next seven scores, fueled by three goals from Gallegos, to increase the 'Roos cushion to 17-4 with 5:53 left in the game. Romo scored with 3:30 to play for Wheaton during the stretch. Gagné netted the Lyons' final goal at the 5:40 mark of the fourth quarter, before Austin closed out the contest with six unanswered goals, including two from Dimitri, to come away with the lopsided win.
Wheaton returns to action later today to play No. 7 seed Connecticut College at 4:00 p.m., while the 'Roos take on No. 8 seed Pennsylvania State University at 5:30 p.m.
