NORTON, Mass. — Hallie Ratcliff (Jr., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) made her lone strike of the contest a fatal one as she swished a shot with four seconds left in the first overtime period to permit Division III No. 9-ranked Washington & Jefferson College to overcome a fourth quarter collapse in a 12-11 overtime victory versus Connecticut College on the second day of the 2026 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championship.
Competing at Wheaton College’s Balfour Natatorium, the Presidents (9-8, 5-3 CWPA Division III regular season) built a 4-2 lead by halftime and surged ahead by a 7-4 count in the third quarter. However, the Camels (3-10, 2-6 CWPA Division III regular season) chipped away at their deficit to enter ties at seven-all (5:28 left in fourth quarter), eight-all (4:46 left in fourth quarter), nine-all (3:43 left in fourth quarter) and finally 10-all (2:21 left in fourth quarter) prior to the termination of regulation.
In the first three-minute overtime period, Connecticut went ahead for the third time following prior 2-1 (1:17 left in first quarter) and 9-8 (4:12 left in fourth quarter) leads as Melia Lorch (Sr., Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) lined in a shot at the 2:11 mark for an 11-10 Camels’ margin. However, W&J responded with a pair of tallies in the final 69 seconds as Mackenzie Caron (Fr., Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) (1:09) and Hallie Ratcliff (four seconds) closed out the OT frame to put the Presidents ahead 12-11. The lead held up down the stretch as neither team dented the twine in the second OT period to permit Washington & Jefferson to escape with a one-score victory.
In the first quarter, Emmie Ratcliff (So., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) broke the ice with a penalty shot marker (7:16) prior to Conn’s Emma Luna (Sr., Wahiawa, Hawaii/Punahou School) turning the tables with back-to-back strikes at 4:38 and 1:17 to give the Camels their inaugural lead.
Emmie Ratcliff (1:06) finished out the first quarter with another goal to make it two-all before lining in a penalty shot at the 2:55 mark of the second quarter to put Washington & Jefferson back in front at 3-2. Caron chipped in an insurance tally prior to the halftime horn as the first-year found the twine with two minutes left in the first half to make it 4-2 at the break.
Chloe Majorprice (Fr., Manchester, Mich./Skyline) (5:11) and Emmie Ratcliff (4:16) expanded the margin to 6-1 in the first four minutes of the third quarter as the Presidents appeared to be pulling away. Following a response by Luna (3:21) to inch the Camels back to within 6-3, the teams traded blasts in the remaining three minutes of the third quarter as Caron (3:02) and Conn’s Brooke Brandenburger (Sr., Sacramento, Calif./Christian Brothers) (1:54) delivered to flip the scoreboard to 7-4 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final eight minutes proved to be the domain of Connecticut as Ainsley Cornwall (Sr., San Mateo, Calif./Aragon) (6:33), Juno Aselton (Fr., Brooklyn, N.Y./Williston Northampton) (5:55) and Lorch (5:28) erased the Camels’ deficit to square the squads at seven-all.
Caron (5:06) snapped Connecticut’s scoring run by putting away a shot with 5:06 remaining in regulation to place back in front at 8-7. However, the lead died a quick death as Cornwall (4:46) and Lorch (4:12) flipped the script to put Connecticut back in front at 9-8.
Washington & Jefferson attempted to end the game in regulation as Emmie Ratcliff drilled in natural (3:43) and penalty shot (2:42) scores to give the Presidents back the lead at 10-9. Aselton had other ideas, however, as she arched in a shot with 2:21 on the clock to make it 10-all and bring on overtime.
For W&J – which advances to a 9:30 a.m. Eastern game on Sunday, April 12, for Fifth Place in the nine-team championship field – Emmie Ratcliff (six), Caron (four), Hallie Ratcliff and Majorprice combined for the Presidents’ offense in support of an 11 save effort by netminder Lani Weaver (Fr., Conroe, Texas/Conroe).
Luna (three), Lorch (three), Cornwall (two), Aselton (two) and Brandenburger inflicted Connecticut’s offensive damage. Maddie Baybeck (Jr., Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) stopped 13 shots in taking the loss as the Camels will next be in action at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon against the host Lyons of Wheaton with a berth in the Seventh Place game at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 12, on the line.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | OT 1 | OT 2 | – | FINAL | |
| Connecticut College (3-10) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | 11 |
| Division III No. 9 Washington & Jefferson College (9-8) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 12 |
| W&J Goals: | Emmie Ratcliff (6); Mackenzie Caron (4); Hallie Ratcliff; Chloe Majorprice | |||||||
| Connecticut Goals: | Emma Luna (3); Melia Lorch (3); Ainsley Cornwall (2); Juno Aselton (2); Brooke Brandenburger | |||||||
| Saves: | W&J – Lani Weaver (11) ; Connecticut – Maddie Baybeck (13) | |||||||
| Exclusions: | W&J – 4 ; Connecticut – 7 | |||||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | W&J – 3-for-7 ; Connecticut – 0-for-4 | |||||||
| Sprints: | W&J – 5-for-6 (2nd, 3rd, 4th, OT1, OT2) ; Connecticut – 1-for-6 (1st) | |||||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – W&J (Head coach Nikola Malezanov, 5:08 left in 2nd Q); YC – Connecticut (Head coach Matt Anderson, 4:37 left in 3rd Q) | |||||||
| Officials: | Mo Omar; Corey Luigard | |||||||
Connecticut College’s Maddie Baybeck (#1)
Washington & Jefferson College’s Chloe Majorprice (#10) locks up with Connecticut College’s Ainsley Cornwall (#2)
Washington & Jefferson College’s Mackenzie Caron (#12) tries to outpace Connecticut College’s Anna Taylor (#13)
