Coast falls to Hornets, 11-8
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fullerton (23-2, 4-1) | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
|
Orange Coast (21-4, 4-1) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
COSTA MESA -- In a battle of two of the top teams in all of California, the Orange Coast College women's water polo team pushed powerhouse Fullerton College to the limit before falling to the Hornets, 11-8, on Wednesday inside the OCC Aquatics Pavilion.
The No. 2 Pirates (21-4. 4-1 in the Orange Empire Conference) and the No. 3 Hornets (23-2, 4-1) put forth an entertaining match as both teams battled back and forth before a third-quarter run by Fullerton proved to be the difference.
After an even first half that saw both teams battle to a 4-4 tie, OCC took the early lead in the third quarter as goals by Natalia Stanard and Destiny Hernandez put the Pirates up, 6-4.
Fullerton made some halftime adjustments and found success on the side of the formation as the Hornets ripped off five straight goals over a four-minute span to grab a 9-6 advantage.
Coast tried to battle back as a pair of Hernandez goals in the fourth kept things close, the Hornets managed to fend off OCC with a pair of goals of their own in the fourth to maintain its advantage.
Hernandez led the OCC offense with four goals and three steals, while Faith Cuevas added two goals and three assists. Ella Wisdom also dished out three assists for OCC,w hile Stanard added a goal, an assist, three steals and a block.
OCC goalkeeper Annabelle Sherman stopped several Grade-A scoring opportunities and finished with 12 saves, while Fullerton's GK, Alex Airitam, came up with 10 saves.
With the Pirates' loss, the final OEC standings resulted in a three-way tie between OCC, Fullerton and Riverside City College. All three teams will go at it at the Orange Empire Conference Tournament, hosted by RCC, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 3
