The fifth-seeded University of Redlands women's water polo team battled until the bitter end but came up short in an overtime thriller against the eighth-seeded Occidental College Tigers during the second round of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships. Down by four early in the contest, the Bulldogs rallied to tie it up and then forced the overtime with a late goal by junior utility player Taylor Christie (Anaheim, CA). However, the Maroon and Gray's luck ran out in the extra frame, as the Tigers prevailed by a score of 12-11.
After junior attack Annie Kinney (Newport Beach, CA) initiated the Bulldogs' scoring, the teams traded scores for a two-all tally with 2:05 left in the opening period.
However, Oxy's equalizing netter initiated a five-goal spurt that put the Tigers up by a score of 6-2 through the halfway point of the game.
With the teams combining for eight goals in the third period, Redlands rallied to cut the deficit to two at 7-9. The Bulldogs relied on a balanced attack, with senior utility player Deandra Van Houten (Huntington Beach, CA) scoring twice, while junior attack Meg Claypool (Portland, OR) recorded her second goal of the game. In addition, senior attack Tricia Bannister (Naperville, IL) capped off the third-period run for the Maroon and Gray.
Van Houten continued to find the back of the net early in the fourth stanza, as she quickly tied it up at nine apiece with 5:31 remaining in regulation.
But Occidental answered to take a 10-9 lead midway through the frame.
Refusing to back down, the Bulldogs looked to Christie's well-timed goal to even the count at 10 and eventually force the overtime.
The teams traded scores once again, before the Tigers managed one more netter than Redlands, which resulted in the Maroon and Gray's tough 11-12 loss.
Junior goalkeeper AC Lopez (Northridge, CA) registered five saves in the extended contest.
Redlands now faces seventh-seeded Cal Lutheran University in the seventh-place match of the SCIAC Championships. The first sprint is slated for 10 a.m. at Haldeman Pool on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.
