LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Women's water polo hosted the Caltech Beavers in a SCIAC matchup on Saturday morning at De Mandel Aquatics Center. 

The Tigers got on the board first on a nice shot from Bella Wilde with one second left on the shot clock early on in the 1st period. The next Oxy goal came about halfway through the opening period on a beautiful lob shot from Stella Gray that extended the early lead to 2-0. 

Caltech would score a goal with about 3 and a half minutes remaining in the period, but Oxy immediately responded with Cate Sloat scoring her first goal of the game on a nice catch and shoot to make the score 3-1. 

Emma Wilderman would score the next goal of the game on a nice backhand shot, and Sloat scored her 2nd goal of the game from distance to put the Tigers up 5-1 after one period of play. 

The Beavers would gain momentum in the 2nd period, scoring all 3 goals in the period to cut the Oxy lead down to just a goal at 5-4 heading into halftime. 

The Tigers were getting solid shots on goal to start off the 3rd period but Caltech's goalie was able to make saves on all of Oxy's attempts early on in the 2nd half. 

Alex Moye would come up with the first of many clutch saves in the 3rd period, saving what would have been the game-tying goal from being scored with 4:35 left in the 3rd period. 

Koko Butcher scored the only goal of the 3rd period to extend the Oxy lead to 6-4, and Moye would make another great save just before the period closed to keep the lead at two goals heading into the 4th period.

Butcher would score another goal to open up the 4th period, giving the Tigers a 7-4 lead with 6 and a half minutes left in the game. On the very next play, Butcher came up with a steal on defense and made the pass ahead to Tori Carlson who was fouled on the play. 

Butcher would take the 5-meter penalty and nail the shot to bring the score to 8-4 in favor on Oxy. Roughly a minute later Bella Wilde would score her second goal of the game to extend the lead to 5 goals with only 5 minutes left in game.

Caltech would score the final two goals of the game, but the Tigers would hold on to a 9-6 win over their crosstown rivals. 

Koko Butcher led the way offensively for the Tigers in this game with three goals, and Cate Sloat and Bella Wilde each scored two goals apiece as well. Alex Moye totaled eight saves on the day, preventing multiple nice shots from the Beavers from getting into the back of the goal. 

With the win the Tigers improve to 7-9 overall and are now 3-2 in SCIAC on the season, putting them right behind La Verne for the fourth best record in SCIAC play thus far this season. 

Oxy's next SCIAC matchup will come on the road in Claremont, CA against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens on Wednesday, March 26th at 7pm.