LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Concluding a three-game home-stand, the Occidental College women's water polo team battled illness and prevailed in the pool, defeating Whittier College, 14-5, in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on a warm afternoon at Taylor Pool.
Following a delayed start due to only one official on site, Julie Monday got the scoring started for Occidental with her first of two goals in the opening stanza. Karie Nickle would also find the back of the net for the Black and Orange.
A solid defensive stand kept the Poets from taking a final shot in the first quarter, keeping the Tigers' lead at 3-0 after one period.
Rebecca Hofer added to the lead less than 30 seconds into the second stanza before she picked up a steal on the defensive end of the pool to set up the fifth Oxy goal of the game, via the arm of Corrine Casey. Nickle chipped in with her second of the game and on the ensuing Poets possession Casey came away with a steal and drove the ball down to the pool to score her second in as many shots to give the home squad a 7-0 lead forcing the Poets to use a timeout.
Danielle Garcia capped off three consecutive Oxy steals with her first goal of the game, pushing the Tigers' lead to 8-0 and followed up with another goal.
Whittier's Katrina Thoreson was responsible for the lone Poets goal in the opening half as Oxy held a comfortable 9-1 advantage at the intermission.
Nanea Fujiyama quickly got in on the action, giving the Tigers their tenth goal of the afternoon. Completing a hat-trick for Oxy, Casey again found the back of the net.
Garcia put on a defensive display, allowing Katya Soot to grab the steal, but the shot hit the post.
Following a timeout and a Poets missed shot, goalie Rachel Adeleye, who stopped nine Poets shots today, fed the ball to a wide open Monday three quarters of the way down the pool as she scored uncontested for the 13th Oxy goal.
WC came back with back-to-back scores, but the home team came back with Garcia netting her third of the game on an assist from Merry Sanders as the third quarter ended with Oxy holding a 14-3 lead.
Lauren Howarth won the final sprint of the game for the Tigers who would not score in the final quarter.
Overall, Casey, Garcia and Monday scored three apiece with Garcia's coming on the only three shots she took. Fujiyama handed out a trio of assists while Nickle chipped in with two goals and two assists.
Lindsay Albino recorded the only Oxy field block of the game, also coming away with two steals. Adeleye led all players with five steals, followed by Garcia and Nickle with three apiece.
Occidental (14-8, 4-0 SCIAC) will be on the road Saturday, April 16 when they travel to Cal Lutheran University to take on the Regals at 11:00 a.m. at the Samuelson Aquatics Center.
Article by Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director
