KENOSHA, Wis. — The Division III No. 9-ranked Macalester College water polo team completed play at the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III-West Regional with wins over Grove City College, 12-10, and Division III No. 7 Austin College, 15-14 OT, at Carthage College’s HARIBO Pool. The results leave the Scots with a 5-3 record overall and a 3-1 CWPA mark.
Macalester opened the first match of the day against Grove City, with a tremendous first quarter. The team scored six goals as first-year Alice Lemmon (Evanston,Ill./Evanston Township) and senior Jess Palmer-Sammons (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) each netted one, while sophomore Anna Gaisser (Seattle, Wash./Ingraham) and senior Kendall Strauss (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock) scored twice. Leading 6-1 at the conclusion of the first quarter, the Scots’ lead shrank as Grove City tallied four goals in the second quarter. Lemmon had another goal as Macalester entered halftime with a 7-5 margin.
Though they gained some momentum, Grove City was not able to overcome the Scots. The teams traded goals for the rest of the match, with senior Alana Nadolski (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) and Gaisser each scoring once in the second half. Nadolski was on a heater, scoring two more points in the fourth quarter. Senior Lorelei Bell (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) also found the net in the final eight minutes of regulation as the Scots held on for a 12-10 victory.
Nadolski and Gaisser were the leading scorers for the Scots with three goals each. Strauss (two), Lemmon (two), Bell and Palmer-Sammons combined for six goals. First-year goalkeeper Myles Kratz (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) posted 10 saves.
The second game, against Austin College, began bleakly. Austin scored five goals in the first quarter and three in the second quarter to put Macalester behind the eight-ball. Nadolski and first-year Reese Winegar (Hoffman Estates, Ill./William Fremd) netted solo markers in the first half as the teams entered halftime with the Kangaroos holding an 8-2 lead.
The Scots had an incredible turnaround in the third quarter. Palmer-Sammons scored, followed by Strauss, and then another by Palmer-Sammons to close within three goals. Nadolski went back-to-back to counter an Austin goal and bring the score to 9-7. Another goal each by Palmer-Sammons and Gaisser and the Scots were within striking distance at 10-9 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Scots kept their momentum over the final eight minutes of regulation as Nadolski (two), Gaisser and Strauss dented the twine. But Austin’s Bianca Gallegos responded for the ‘Roos with a trio of makes to send the game into overtime deadlocked at 13-all.
Palmer-Sammons had the first overtime success and Gaisser followed to push out to a 15-13 lead. Although Austin got one more goal with 23 seconds on the clock, the Scots held on for a 15-14 victory.
Nadolski led the Scots with five goals to join Palmer-Sammons (four) and Gaisser (three) in notching hat-tricks. Strauss (two) and Winegar combined for three goals in support of a 20 save effort by senior goalkeeper Jayden Kratt (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn).
Information courtesy Macalester College Athletics Communications
