The fifth-seeded University of Redlands women's water polo team captured a thrilling 10-9 triumph over the top-seeded Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Athenas in Saturday's semifinal showdown to advance to the championship game of the 2013 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament. After providing the game-winner in Friday's double-overtime win, senior driver Jill Stein (Palm Desert, CA) came up with late-game heroics once again, scoring on a late breakaway with less than two minutes remaining in the game to put the Bulldogs ahead for the final time.
Redlands captured a 2-1 lead after the first frame, with sophomore center-defender Haley Hollinrake (Redlands, CA) and freshman center Caitlyn Freeman (Brentwood, CA) each finding the back of the net.
The squads battled to three tie scores during the second stanza, with the period ending all square at four apiece. During this stretch, junior center Jaci Cochrane (San Bernardino, CA) stepped up for the Maroon and Gray by firing off two of her three goals.
Nonetheless, the momentum quickly shifted back to CMS, which took its second lead of the contest early in the third period at 5-4.
But Redlands answered with back-to-back netters by Stein to make it 6-5 for the Bulldogs.
The teams traded scores in the final 60 seconds of the frame, with Cochrane completing her hat trick while making it 7-6 for the Bulldogs.
Early in the fourth, Stein and senior driver Stephanie Taylor (Sacramento, CA) combined offensive forces to give Redlands its largest lead of the game at 9-6.
However, the Athenas came storming back to score three straight goals, tying the contest with 2:56 remaining
After a pair of empty possessions by both teams, Stein stole the ball on an errant pass and uncorked her fourth goal of the game for her second game-winner in as many contests.
Junior goalkeeper Julie Lupfer (San Diego, CA) patrolled the Redlands cage with 12 stops in a complete-game performance.
Redlands (14-17, 7-3 SCIAC) takes on Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Sunday's title game at 2:30 p.m. at Pasadena City College.
CMS (14-15, 8-2 SCIAC) faces Occidental in the third-place game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Fans may follow the action via live web stream (ADD LINK).
