While never trailing on Saturday, the University of Redlands women's water polo team used a hot start to propel it to a 9-7 victory over Chapman University in Orange. The Bulldogs rattled off four consecutive scores to start the game and maintained at least a one-goal advantage through the final whistle en route to their fourth Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) triumph of the season.
The dynamic senior duo of Jill Stein (Palm Desert, CA) and Moana Tuipulotu (Lahaina, HI) put Redlands in front with a goal apiece in the first stanza.
Stein found the back of the net early in the second frame before sophomore center-defender Haley Hollinrake (Redlands, CA) made it a 4-0 lead for the Maroon and Gray with 5:51 remaining.
The Panthers pulled two back by the end of the frame, and then the teams traded scores through the third period, with Tuipulotu and Hollinrake combining forces to make it 6-3.
With one second to go in the period, Chapman squeezed in a late goal before firing off the first netter of the final period to cut the lead to one with 6:28 to go in the game.
Over the next three minutes, Tuipulotu unleashed back-to-back scores to create a little breathing room for the Maroon and Gray.
However, the score was quickly 8-7 in favor of the Bulldogs with 2:25 left on the clock after consecutive scores by the Panthers.
Moments later, Redlands gained an insurance goal from freshman driver Summer Parsons (El Cajon, CA).
Following a late timeout, the Panthers' last-minute efforts to even the count were foiled by the Bulldog defense, resulting in the exciting 9-7 victory for Redlands.
Patrolling the cage for the Maroon and Gray, junior goalkeeper Julie Lupfer (San Diego, CA) came away with seven stops in complete-game effort.
With three dual matches left on the schedule, Redlands (11-15, 4-1 SCIAC) remains in the hunt for a top-three seed for the SCIAC Championship Tournament. The Bulldogs look forward to hosting conference-undefeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Wed., April 10, at 5 p.m. at the Thompson Aquatic Center.
