Women's Water Polo Falls in Overtime to Close Season

MOLINE, Ill. - The Austin College women's water polo team's season came to a close with a heartbreaking 9-8 overtime loss to Macalester in the third place game of the CWPA Division III Tournament on Sunday, with Macalester scoring with two minutes left of the second extra frame to give them the edge over the 'Roos. Austin College finishes the year with a record of 12-9.

Macalester took an early lead, finding the back of the net less than two minutes into the game, but Bianca Gallegos evened things up with 4:33 left in the opening quarter. Ashlyn Thomas tallied just 33 seconds later to make it 2-1 in favor of the 'Roos, but the Scots responded with two in a row to end the period and make it a 3-2 game after one. The second quarter was a defensive battle, with Joslyn Dimitri scoring the lone goal of the frame to even things up at 3-3 heading into halftime. 

Dimitri scored just 14 seconds into the second half to give Austin College a 4-3 lead, and Clara Koenig dented the twine to make it 5-3 with 6:18 on the clock. Macalester responded with two goals in the next two minutes to square things up, but Gallegos put Austin College back on top with a tally at the 2:50 mark. McKenna Malone added a score with six seconds left in the third, sending the 'Roos into the final period of regulation holding a 7-5 advantage.

The two-goal margin remained through most of the fourth quarter until Macalester scored with 2:28 left to play, and the Scots tied things up with 1:21 left in regulation. Dimitri gave the lead back to Austin College 20 seconds later, but Macalester forced overtime with a goal at the 31 second mark to make it 8-8. Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the first overtime period, and Macalester was able to go on top with 2:05 left in the second extra period. Austin College got multiple shot attempts in the closing moments of double overtime, but were unable to find the equalizer.

Dimitri had three goals and Gallegos added two to lead Austin College, while Koenig, Thomas, and Malone each scored once. Gallegos and Mikhaela Torres both had three steals. Torres also had a pair of assists, with Koenig adding two steals to go along with an assist. Ashley Easley made seven saves and had two steals in goal for the 'Roos.

Gallegos was a first team All-Tournament pick for her outstanding performance over the weekend, and Dimitri and Ashley Chand were both second team All-Tournament picks.