ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Division III No. 10-ranked Macalester College water polo team opened the 2022 season by dropping games to Ottawa University (Ariz.), 15-5 in the morning before falling to Division III No. 5 Chapman University, 12-5, on the first day of the Macalester Invitational at Riley Pool.
In the first match of the Macalester Invitational, the Scots ran into a strong defensive team in Ottawa, which competes at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level.
A pair of goals by senior Riley Waters (Portland, Ore./St. Mary’s Academy) gave Macalester a 2-1 lead midway through the first quarter. The Spirit tallied two more goals in the first quarter and two goals in the second quarter, sandwiched around a goal by sophomore Gabriela Weiner (Chicago, Ill./Whitney M. Young Magnet), to lead, 6-3 at the half.
From there it was all Ottawa, as the Spirit outscored the Scots, 9-2 in the second half.
Waters finished with three goals, while sophomore goalkeeper Laurel O’Hare (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) made six saves.
In the late game, ,Macalester opened the scoring against Chapman with a goal by junior Sydney Hollingsworth (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township). Chapman followed with seven consecutive goals to build a 7-1 advantage.
The Scots answered with goals by first year Olivia Dimka (Denton, Texas/John H. Guyer), senior Annika Krueger (Emerald Hills, Calif./Sequoia) and junior Eleanor Michaud (Long Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) to make the score 8-4 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Chapman put the game out of reach with four more goals to clinch the win. O’Hare had a solid game with 12 saves for the Scots.
Release courtesy Macalester College Athletics Communications
