GROVE CITY, Pa. — The No. 5-ranked Austin College women’s water polo team kept its win streak alive by picking up a trio of victories to make it eight straight wins as the Kangaroos improved to 10-7 overall and 7-0 in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III action. The ‘Roos topped host Grove City College, 22-8, Connecticut College, 10-5, and Wheaton College 26-5, at the James E. Longnecker Pool
The ‘Roos sprinted out to a big early lead against the host Grove City Wolverines in the day’s first game, surging ahead 7-3 after the opening quarter. Ashley Chand and Bianca Gallegos each tallied twice in the opening frame, while Camila Diarte, Clara Koenig and Mikayla Arizmendi scored once apiece. Gallegos found the back of the cage twice more in the second quarter to help push the Austin lead to 11-6 at halftime, with Koenig and Joslyn Dimitri also getting in on the scoring action.
Gallegos capped her big scoring game with two more goals in the third, with Koenig picking up her third goal, Dimitri tallying again, and McKenna Malone getting on the scoresheet in a dominant defensive quarter that saw Ashley Easley yield zero tallies as the ‘Roos pushed the margin to 17-6. Dimitri, Chand, Lexy Hulse, Gracey Kettler and Ashlyn Thomas all scored once in the fourth to make it a 22-8 final.
Austin found itself trailing 3-2 after one quarter of play against Connecticut College, and the ‘Roos trailed 4-3 at halftime before taking control in the second half, using a 3-0 third quarter to grab a 6-4 lead. Dimitri, Gallegos and Koenig each dented the twine in the frame to put Austin ahead, after Dimitri had scored twice and Gallegos once in the first half. The defensive effort continued into the final quarter, as the ‘Roos held Connecticut College to one goal while putting four in the cage, as Gallegos, Chand, Kettler and Mikhaela Torres each scored to make it a 10-5 final.
The ‘Roos closed out the day with a resounding victory over Wheaton, as Austin College put nine goals in the net in the opening quarter and never looked back, taking a 9-2 lead after the first and a 15-2 advantage at halftime.
Gallegos continued her big day offensively, scoring all five of her goals in the opening half, while Morgan Evans, Dimitri, Hulse, Diarte, Thomas and Koenig each scored in the opening quarter, and Sofia Guzman, Sophia King, Sophie Johnson, Arizmendi and Evans scored in the third quarter to push it to a 20-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Diarte tallied twice in the fourth quarter to finish with three goals in the game, and Hulse, Arizmendi, Johnson and Thomas all dented the twine once in the commanding victory.
Release courtesy Austin College Athletics Communications
