Second half defense keys water polo win over Siena

ORANGE, Calif.- Despite trailing at halftime, the Chapman University women's water polo team shutdown the Siena Saints in the second half to earn a 12-10 win at the Allred Aquatics Center on Wednesday. Sophomore goalie Jordan Gilmore led the Panthers defense in the second half, tallying eight blocks while allowing just three goals.

Freshman driver Kate Staskus netted the first goal in the low-scoring opening quarter, giving the Panthers the edge with a 6-on-5 goal. The Chapman lead was short-lived, however, as Jacqueline Verdon and Jasmine Carrillo broke through the Panther defense for back-to-back goals, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. Freshman utility Alison Quincy evened the score in the final minutes with a long distance goal, the first of her game high four goals.

The low-scoring first quarter was followed by a frenzy of goals as the two teams combined for 10 goals in the second quarter, with six goals of those goals coming in the first two minutes. The Panthers and Saints traded goals in the opening two minutes before Verdon led the Saints on a 3-0 run, capped by a no-look goal that gave Siena a 7-4 lead with 3:30 remaining. A put-back goal from Quincy snapped the Saints' run and was followed by a goal from freshman driver Miranda Estrella in the final minutes to shorten the Siena lead to 7-6 entering the half.

Gilmore opened the second half in place of starting goalkeeper Kirsten Spicer and led the Panthers to a third quarter shutout. Sophomore utility Riley Ford opened up the second half with a game-tying goal off an assist from Julie Case, followed by two straight goals from senior driver Samantha McLaughlin. The Panthers capped off a 5-0 quarter with goals from Estrella and Quincy in the waning minutes.

Entering the final quarter with a 10-7 lead, the Panthers held on to their lead with strong defense and key saves from Gilmore. A penalty shot goal by Lea Allen snapped the Panthers 7-0 run that spanned back to the 3:30 mark in the second quarter. Late goals from Stephanie Bundas and Verdon kept the game close, but a goal from Quincy with 43 seconds left secured the win.

The Panthers will be on the road for their next two contests versus Caltech (March 27) and Cal Lu (March 30) before returning home on April 3 to take on La Verne at 5 p.m. at the Allred Aquatics Center.

Box score: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/wwaterpolo/2012-13/files/Chapman_vs._Siena.pdf

by Ryan Cavinder
Sports Information Assistant

Become a fan of Chapman Athletics on Facebook
Follow Chapman Athletics on Twitter @ChapmanSports

Post your #PantherPic to Instagram @ChapmanSports
#CUPanthers