Ford scores game-winner leading Chapman to third place finish in SCIAC Tournament
CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Chapman University women's water polo team upset the No. 2 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10-9 to finish third place in the SCIAC Tournament and fourth in conference overall for the Panthers highest finish since joining the SCIAC in 2012.
In a match with seven lead changes, senior utility Riley Ford scored the game-winner for Chapman with less than a minute left in the game to give the Panthers a 10-9 victory over No. 2-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Chapman and Claremont went goal-for-goal throughout the first three quarters of the match. The Panthers took the first lead 1-0 when junior utility Kate Avery scored less than a minute into the game, but the Athenas LillyBelle Deer scored 20 seconds later to tie the game 1-1 in the first.
Claremont's Roxy Kiessling then scored back-to-back goals to give the Athenas their first lead 3-2, but Ford retaliated with a pair of goals less than a minute a part to put the Panthers back in the lead 4-3. Claremont's Rose Koper scored the final goal of the half with less than a minute to tie the game 4-4.
A pair of Panther goals in the third quarter by senior attacker Emily Holmquist and Avery would keep the Panthers tied 6-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Chapman and Claremont then went on the offensive battle scoring three goals each to tie the game up 9-9 with 43 seconds left in the game.
Senior goalie Kirsten Spicer made nine save in the goal for Chapman, which finished the tournament 2-1. Ford finished the game with four goals for the Panthers, while Holmquist recorded three assists and a goal for the Panther offense in her final match of the season.
Complete 2015 SCIAC Women's Water Polo Championships results, live tweets and video can be found at the Pomona-Pitzer website: http://pe.pomona.edu/sports/wwaterpolo/2014-15/releases/2015042044dlgc
By Raquel Rinauro
Sports Information Assistant
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