The University of Redlands women's water polo team battled it out with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in a non-conference bout at the Thompson Aquatic Center on Saturday. Amidst a tight competition, the Bulldogs fell behind in the second period and struggled to make up the difference, leading to the 10-13 loss to the Athenas.
The teams traded scores in the opening frame with the Maroon and Gray garnering its only lead of the contest at 2-1 when junior center Jaci Cochrane (San Bernardino, CA) and senior driver Jill Stein (Palm Desert, CA) fired off back-to-back goals.
After CMS answered with a trio of netters, the Bulldogs made it a one-goal game with freshman utility player Annie Kinney's (Balboa, CA) score midway through the second stanza.
The Athenas continued to make the most of their scoring chances, taking a 6-3 lead late in the frame. But Redlands closed out the half with another Cochrane netter and then junior driver Becca Woodruff (Davis, CA) found the back of the net to start the third period for the Bulldogs.
Redlands continued to fight back but CMS maintained its lead through the final whistle. The Maroon and Gray made it a one-goal deficit on three occasions in the third stanza, with Stein and senior driver Moana Tuipulotu (Lahaina, HI) recording netters for the Bulldogs.
However, the fourth stanza saw the Athenas hold on for the hard-fought victory.
Cochrane and Stein both finished with a hat trick for the Maroon and Gray. Junior goalkeeper Julie Lupfer (San Diego, CA) made seven stops while patrolling the Bulldog goal.
Redlands (3-5) heads to the Claremont Convergence Tournament on Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9.