Pirates come up short in OEC Water Polo title match

COSTA MESA – The Orange Coast College women's water polo team had a great opportunity to break in the new OCC Aquatics Pavilion with a home-cooked Orange Empire Conference title, but top-seeded Fullerton College would have none of that, topping the host Pirates, 11-7, on Saturday in the title game of the OEC Water Polo Championships

The top-seeded Hornets (26-5), who entered the OEC tournament in a minor 1-3 stretch against four-year university competition, shrugged off the setbacks and ripped through Cypress on Friday in the semifinals (15-3) before taking on the No. 2 seeded Pirates (18-4) in their home pool.

Both teams traded goals in the first period before Fullerton used a three-goal run to open the second quarter. Neida Torres scored a pair of goals in that mini run, while Adrianna Wong tossed in the other as the Hornets grabbed a 5-2 lead midway through the second quarter.

OCC's Rachel Sherman found the back of the net to make it 5-3, but a 5-meter opportunity by FC's Julissa Velazquez was not squandered as she pushed the Hornets' lead up to three at 6-3 after the first half of play.

The Pirates found some early momentum in the third quarter as Kendall Chrisman scored the second of her three goals in the contest to bring OCC within a pair at 6-4, but Fullerton would respond with another 3-0 outburst, putting the Hornets comfortably ahead for good.

Wong and Torres each finished with four goals for the Hornets, while Velazquez, Tarsis Ledezma and Emily Jack each added single goals. Goalie Alexis Storman came up with several big saves and finished the championship match with 12 saves.

For the Pirates, Sherman finished with two goals and three assists, while Destiny Hernandez added a goal and two assists. Goalie AnnaBelle Sherman finished with eight saves.

Both teams will advance to next week's Southern California Regional Championships, hosted by Southwestern College.