The University of Redlands women's water polo team competed in the Cal Baptist University Lancer Invitational on Friday and Saturday, earning split results with wins over Washington & Jefferson College (PA) and Macalester College (MN) during the second day of the event, which took place at the Thompson Aquatic Center.
In the team's game against Washington & Jefferson, the Bulldogs played some of their best water polo of the season.
In the first quarter, the Bulldogs hopped on the board when junior utility player Caitlyn Freeman (Brentwood, CA) notched the opening score in the second minute of play.
Although the Presidents responded to grab a 2-1 advantage, Redlands' senior utility player Deandra Van Houten (Huntington Beach, CA) had other plans, as she netted a score to tie up the game late in the first frame.
The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued through the second stanza, as Bulldog junior utility player Taylor Christie (Anaheim, CA) and junior attack player Meg Claypool (Portland, OR) fired off integral netters to maintain Redlands' one-score advantage. Senior attack Tricia Bannister (Naperville, IL) gave the Maroon and Gray a 5-3 lead by locating the back of the net with just over a minute to go in the period. The teams traded scores to close out the frame, as Freeman tallied her second score of the day with 14 seconds left to play in the second period to keep Redlands up by two.
Leading by a score of 6-4 at the start of the third frame, Redlands looked to Van Houten to uncork another score to make it a three-goal game.
However, the Presidents cut the lead down to one at 6-7 after a pair of late, third-quarter scores.
Nonetheless, the U of R quickly responded by outscoring Washington & Jefferson by a 3-2 margin in the final quarter, compliments of goals from junior attacker Annie Kinney (Newport Beach, CA), Van Houten, and Bannister, en route to exciting 11-7 victory.
Late in the day, Redlands took on the Macalester Scots in the second game of Saturday's action with hopes of carrying over its positive play from the morning.
In another back-and-forth battle, Redlands broke a three-all tie with a stellar offensive showing. Sophomore defender Rashel Alvarez-Zakson (Santa Monica, CA), Claypool, and Bannister teamed up to register three unanswered goals for the Bulldogs' 6-3 advantage after two periods.
Redlands continued to dominate in the third quarter, as they grabbed an 11-3 lead and held the Scots scoreless. Van Houten was a scoring machine, notching four-consecutive goals for the Maroon and Gray.
The defense continued to hold strong through the fourth frame, with the Bulldogs eventually notching a 12-6 victory for their second win of the day.
Junior goalkeeper AC Lopez (Northridge, CA) was slotted between the pipes in both wins. No statistics were available at the time of posting.
On Friday, the Bulldogs took on St. Francis College (NY) but fell in a tight match by the score of 7-8. Christie, Claypool, and Bannister each notched two goals in the contest, while Freeman tallied one. Lopez hauled in six saves, as well.
Lastly, the Bulldogs suffered a 9-15 loss against the Iona College (NY) Gaels in the opening game of the CBU Lancer Invite. Bannister marked a team-high three goals, while Kinney and Christie netted two goals. Freeman and Claypool chipped in one score apiece. Lopez notched five saves in the defeat.
The Bulldogs (2-15) open Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition on Wednesday, March 18, with a 4 p.m. showdown against Whittier College at the Thompson Aquatic Center.