MONMOUTH, Ill. — The 2017 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Champion Scots of Division III No. 9-ranked Macalester College clinched the No. 1 seed for the 2018 edition of the championship at the Hallman Aquatics Center in Erie, Pa., on Saturday-Sunday, April 14-15 by taking down host Monmouth College in sudden death overtime, 10-9, and Washington & Jefferson College, 14-4.
Macalester, which improved to 6-0 in league play with one game remaining, opened the day with a sudden death win against the host Fighting Scots with the No. 1 seed for the championship. A victory by either Monmouth or Macalester would have given the victor a tiebreaker over the other as both teams entered the contested undefeated in league competition.
The Scots of Macalester led 6-4 early in the fourth quarter when the Fighting Scots of Monmouth tallied three consecutive goals for a 7-6 edge with just under two minutes remaining. Time was winding down when sophomore Oriana Galasso (Gresham, Ore./Central Catholic) tied the game with 11 seconds on the clock, sending the game to overtime. With the game still tied at 9-9 after two overtime periods, sophomore Cara Mullery (Palmetto Bay, Fla./MAST Academy) scored in the sudden death to give Macalester a 10-9 win.
Galasso finished with seven goals to lead Macalester. Juniors Lucille Moran (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and Natalie Hoffman (Seattle, Wash./Inglemoor) also scored, while senior Hannah Gray (Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena) delivered three assists. Junior goalkeeper Courtney Overland (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani) made 12 saves.
The second game of the day was a rematch of last year’s CWPA Championship title game won by Macalester, 10-9 in overtime, at home in Riley Pool at the Leonard Center.
This year’s meeting was decided early as the Scots took control with 10 unanswered goals en route to an insurmountable 10-0 lead after two quarters. Galasso led the way again with six goals, while Moran and Mullery each added three goals. Gray and senior Brooke Finney (Grand Rapids, Mich./Jenison) also scored.
Overland helped Macalester blank the Presidents in the first half with eight saves. She finished with 12 saves and four steals for the game.
Release courtesy Macalester College Athletics Communications
