SHERMAN, Texas — The Carthage College women’s water polo team returned took losses versus Division III No. 6-ranked Macalester College, 17-8, host/Division III No. 10 Austin College, 23-15, Penn State Behrend, 17-14, and Division III No. 5 Augustana College, 13-11, at Hannah Natatorium during a Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III-West Region weekend on Saturday-Sunday, March 15-16.
On Saturday, March 15, versus Macalester, Carthage broke the ice via back-to-back goals in the first quarter by Morrigan Bushroe and Grace Steinberg. To conclude the first quarter, Yamila Areizaga and Brenna Carstens scored two more goals, and Macalester scored two forcing the score to be 5-2 after the eight minutes.
Macalester and the Firebirds both netted pairs of markers in the second quarter as Steinberg and Bushroe dented the twine for Carthage.
In the third quarter, Macalester outscored the Firebirds 9-1 and took the lead. Steinberg had the lone Firebirds’ goal to fall behind 13-8.
Macalester advanced its lead in the fourth quarter to claim a 17-8 victory.
Taking on Austin later in the day, the Firebirds fell behind by a 5-2 count in the first quarter as Kaylin Machuca and Veronica Gut tossed in shots for Carthage.
The Firebirds scored back-to-back goals to start the second quarter as Carstens and Areizaga spun home shots. However, Austin followed with three goals. The second quarter concluded with Carstens scoring with 3:11 left on the clock and Austin answering at 2:03 to make it a 9-5 contest after 16 minutes of action.
There were 13 goals scored in the third quarter as the Kangaroos advance their lead to 15-12. For the Firebirds, Steinberg, Areizaga, Carstens, Bushroe and Xiomara Trejo all collected goals.
Areizaga and Faith Harris both had goals in the fourth quarter to dig into Austin’s lead. However, Austin outscored the Firebirds in the fourth 8-3 to garner a 23-15 win.
In the team’s third contest of the day, the Lions of Penn State Behrend got on the board in the first quarter at 6:14 prior to . Bushroe and Carstens accounting for three strikes. The Lions added another goal during the opening eight minutes as Carthage exited the opening frame with a 3-2 lead.
In the second quarter, the Penn State Behrend acquired the lead and outscored the Firebirds by a 6-4 count. Areizaga, Sarah Lowery and Bushroe strucks for Carthage to move the team within 8-7.
Trejo opened the third quarter by scoring at 7:09, while Steinberg and Bushroe also tossed in markers for the Firebirds to keep the team within striking distance of Penn State Behrend at 12-11.
Trejo led the Firebirds in scoring in the fourth with a pair to join Bushroe in accounting for three Carthage tallies. However, the Lions put up five goals during the waning minutes of the game to outlast their foe by a 17-14 count.
On Sunday, March 16, facing the defending CWPA Division III Champion Vikings of Augustana, Carthage once again struck first as Areizaga scored back-to-back goals. The Vikings answered back with three goals before Trejo responded for the Firebirds with 1:24 left on the clock to set the scoreboard at three-all after the opening eight minutes of both-and-forth action.
Carthage outscored Augustana in the second quarter by a 4-3 factor as Trejo, Bushroe and Areizaga all collected goals to push the Firebirds ahead by a 7-6 score heading into halftime.
The Vikings came back in the third quarter to outscore Carthage for a 10-8 lead. Bushroe accounted for the lone Firebirds’ goal as Carthage trailed by a 10-8 score after 24 minutes of competition.
Carstens started the Firebirds off in the fourth quarter with a goal at 7:17 before Trejo knotted the score at 10-all with 3:40 remaining in regulation. However, the Vikings went berserk by rattling off three tallies to move in front to stay. Steinberg scored with 37 seconds left, but the Vikings held off the Firebirds to take the win.
Information courtesy Carthage College Athletics Communications
