ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Division III No. 6-ranked Augustana College Vikings women’s water polo team split a pair of games to begin the Macalester Invitational hosted by Macalester College. The Vikings fell to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Keydets, 13-12, prior to knocking off the Ottawa University (Ariz.), 20-9.
In a high-scoring opening quarter against VMI, the Vikings found themselves down 2-0 before consecutive scores from Anita Rodgers and Alayna Ickert evened the score. VMI closed the frame with four of the next five goals scored to bring a 6-3 lead into the second. Augie saw its third tally of the frame come off the arm of Ocean Akau. The Keydets notched the only two goals of the second to make it an 8-3 contest heading into the halftime break.
Augie began its comeback in the third quarter, cutting a six-point deficit in half with three straight tallies to trim the gap to 9-6. The Keydets stopped the momentum with a score of their own, but Ickert’s strike with 11 seconds remaining shrunk the differential to three entering the final eight minutes. After VMI collected the first goal of the final quarter, the Vikings again strung together another 3-0 scoring spurt to pull within a point with just under four minutes remaining. A goal by Akau with 1:06 showing on the clock later deadlocked the score at 12 apiece, but VMI sent in the game-winner with six seconds to spare to hang on for the one-point win.
Ickert led the way with four goals in the loss, while Lizzie Pelzman stopped 16 shots in net.
In game two versus Ottawa, 10 goals were scored through the first eight minutes of the contest, with six going in favor of Augie. Akau broke a 3-3 tie with a penalty shot before Charlotte Newport gave the Vikings the lead for goal following a 4-4 draw. Ottawa got within one twice in the second quarter, but consecutive tallies from Abigail Gatlin and Ickert closed out the half to bring the score to 11-8 entering the halftime break.
Defense was the story for Augustana in the second half, only allowing one goal through the final 16 minutes. The Spirit notched the first goal of the third quarter, but were met with nine unanswered points from the Vikings to complete the 20-9 final. Nine different Vikings accounted for the nine goals in the second half.
Newport led the way for the team with three goals.
With the results, Augie moves to 2-2 on the season.
Release courtesy Augustana College Athletics Communications
