IRVINE, Calif. – The women's water polo team fell just short of advancing in the WWPA Championship Quarterfinals against the two-seeded West region Biola University on Friday, April 10th at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, California.
Score: McKendree University 15, Biola University 18
Record: Bearcats 9-18, 1-3 WWPA | Eagles 10-17, 6-2 WWPA
HOW IT HAPPENED
Biola opened up with the game's first two goals within the initial two minutes of play, and was not until WWPA All-Freshman Team selection Charlie Monroe (The Woodlands, Texas) started an alternating sequence between the two teams that won the last three conference championships, where Monroe dropped in the first two into the net for the Bearcats.
Senior attackers Dylan Murphy (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Joey Rebelo (Montreal, Québec, Canada) continued to stay right on the Eagles' tail with scoring possessions from each of them, as the First Team honoree Bella Morquecho (Chicago, Ill.) powered one in from the center with 15 ticks left in the first quarter, and right before Biola's goalkeeper cliched in a last second goal before the period ended with 13 combined scores.
After the Eagles notched in their ninth goal of the contest to open up the second period, McKendree closed the gap to two after the southpaw Rebelo found the back of the net off a cross pass, while junior attacker Shanelle Márquez (Madrid, Spain) canned it in from the opposite side of the cage to convert on a power play opportunity. The other senior attacker, Jazmine Sandoval (Westminster, Calif.), got one more to go in for the squad to end the first half, yet they would still trail 8-10.
Sandoval would keep taking matters into her own hands by scoring on two consecutive possessions with the first of which coming via man-up. While being tightly contested, Morquecho made another shot from the center spot at the final second of the third to trail Biola by three while both sides started to head into the final eight minutes of regulation.
A 3-1 run by the Eagles extended their lead to five, making it a difficult situation for the Bearcats. Sandoval and Morquecho continued their scoring prowess on back-to-back possessions with under a minute and a half left in the game, as junior utility Hailey Munoz (Murrieta, Calif.) launched one in through half a dozen blocking hands, but it would not be enough, as Biola would fly away with the 18-15 quarterfinal victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Sandoval led the McKendree offense with four goals ant one assist on four shot attempts (100%).
• Morquecho also got herself a hat-trick with a trio of goals scored on four shots (75.0%), plus an assist and a steal.
• Murphy, Rebelo, and Monroe each tabbed two goals in the setback, with Rebelo getting credit with an assist and a field block.
• Freshman goalkeeper Delaney Judkins (La Grange, Ill.) manned the cage for 31:12 of game time and collected nine saves and four takeaways. Sandoval spotted Judkins for the remaining 48 seconds.
UP NEXT
With the loss, McKendree will now face (4W) Fresno Pacific University in the first part of a 5th-7th place round robin, which will happen tomorrow on Saturday, April 11th at 12:15 PM CT at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, California.
The game streamed for free live and on demand on the WWPA Network. Live stats will be provided to the public via The FOSH. Tickets can be purchased at cuigoldeneagles.com.
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