LOS ANGELES — Playing at home for the first time this season, the Occidental College women's water polo team avenged last weekend's loss to the Virginia Military Institute with a 15-5 victory over the Keydets on Tuesday.
After allowing the game's first goal 1 minute into the first quarter, the Tigers went on a five-goal run to put the game away early.
Morgan McClafferty (Huntington Beach) led the Oxy offense with a career-high four goals. The junior attacker scored twice in the first quarter on power play opportunities.
Oxy had been struggling on 6-on-5 advantage opportunities all season, scoring at a 25 percent clip through its first 12 games. But in the friendly confines of Taylor Pool, the Tigers converted a season-best 60 percent, which proved to be the difference in the contest.
The offense was spread out as seven different Tigers scored in the game. Senior Nanea Fujiyama (Honolulu) joined McClafferty with her eighth hat trick of the season. Koral Gill (Maui, Hawaii), Katie Gibbs (Orinda) and Lizzy Kosin (LaGrange, Ill.).
FINAL 1st 2nd 3rd 4th TOTAL
Occidental 5 3 4 3 15
VMI 1 1 2 1 5
GOALS SCORED: McClafferty-4, Fujiyama-3, Kosin-2, Gill-2, Gibbs-2, Albino-1, Garcia-1
ASSISTS: Kosin-1, Shyba-1, Albino-1, Najarian-1, Garcia-1, Fujiyama-1
STEALS: McClafferty-3,Gill-3, Fujiyama-2, Soot-2, Garcia-2, Albino-1, Najarian-1, Namba-1
SAVES: Adeleye-12
Exclusions: VMI-12, OXY-6
Game 2: Concordia-Irvine 18, Occidental 13
In the second game of the day, Oxy fell to Concordia-Irvine 18-13.
The Tigers ran off the game's first three goals only to watch the Eagles go on an 8-1 run that lasted until the middle of the second quarter.
Despite a career-high seven goals from Fujiyama (Honolulu), and a three-goal effort from Danielle Garcia (Houston, Texas), the Oxy offense struggled to convert from the perimeter as the team, hitting just 13 of 39 shots.
Trailing 9-5, the Tigers managed two quick goals in the final 30 seconds of the first half to cut the Eagle lead to two, but that's as close as Oxy would get.
Oxy returns to the pool on Thursday with away games at Cal State Northridge. The Tigers face off against NCAA Division 1 Bucknell University at 5:20pm, followed by a match against the NCAA Division I 13th ranked Matadors at 7:20pm.
FINAL 1st 2nd 3rd 4th TOTAL
Occidental 4 3 3 3 13
CUI 5 4 5 4 18
GOALS: Fujiyama-7, Garcia-10, Shyba-1, Albino-1, Soot-1
ASSISTS: Fujiyama-2, Garcia-2, Albino-1, Shyba-1
STEALS: Fujiyama-5, McClafferty-2, Albino-1, Soot-1
SAVES: Adeleye-10
Exclusions: Occidental-3, CUI-4
