KENOSHA, Wis. – The Macalester College water polo team started the 2018 season with victories over Monmouth College and McKendree University on Saturday at Carthage College. The Scots, who are the defending CWPA champions, won by scores of 9-5 and 9-6.

Against Monmouth, Macalester stormed to a 6-3 lead over the first three quarters on goals by seniors Brooke Finney (Grand Rapids, Mich./Jenison) and Hannah Gray (Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena), junior Lucille Moran (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and sophomore Oriana Galasso (Gresham, Ore./Central Catholic), and two goals from sophomore Cara Mullery (Palmetto Bay, Fla./MAST Academy). But Monmouth came back to make it a 6-5 game with back-to-back goals. With less than three minutes to play, Moran, a two-time All-American, took over with three unanswered goals to give the Scots a 9-5 victory.

Junior goalkeeper Courtney Overland (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani) registered 15 saves in goal. Macalester tallied nine goals on 31 total shots.

In the second game of the day, Moran tallied four goals and Galasso scored twice to build a 6-1 lead. After a pair of McKendree goals, Finney and Moran answered for the Scots to make the score 8-3. Two more Bearcats goals made the score 8-5, but Moran found the net again for her 10th goal of the day to put the game out of reach. Overland, who made a key penalty save in the fourth quarter, finished with 15 saves.

Macalester will play Carthage on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in Kenosha, Wis.

MAC – 2 2 2 3 - 9
Mon – 0 1 2 2 - 5
Macalester goals: Moran 4, Mullery 2, Finney, Gray, Galasso

MAC – 2 2 2 3 - 9
McK – 0 1 2 3 - 6
Macalester goals: Moran 6, Galasso 2, Finney