ORANGE, Calif. – The Macalester College water polo team played a pair of close matches against nationally-ranked teams in California on Thursday, losing to No. 6 La Verne, 14-9 and to No. 5 Chapman, 7-5. The Scots, who are ranked seventh in the latest Division III national poll, fall to 7-2 with their first losses of 2018. The results end a 16-match winning streak that dates back to Mar. 26, 2017.

In the 14-9 loss to La Verne, a goal by sophomore Naomi Strait (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton) tied the score at 2-2 with 2:04 left in the first half. But La Verne scored the next seven goals to close out the first half with a 9-2 lead. The Scots came as close as 12-9 following back-to-back goals by sophomores Oriana Galasso (Gresham, Ore./Central Catholic) and Cara Mullery (Palmetto Bay, Fla./MAST Academy) with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter. La Verne closed out the scoring with a pair of goals to clinch the win. Galasso, Mullery, senior Hannah Gray (Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena) and junior Lucille Moran (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) each scored twice for the Scots. Junior goalkeeper Courtney Overland (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani) made eight saves.

Against Chapman, the Scots trailed 4-0 before Mullery, Galasso and Moran found the net during the final 2:04 of the second quarter to make the score 4-3 at the half. After Chapman tallied a goal at the 6:25 mark of the third quarter, Moran and Galasso tallied goals 1:33 apart to tie the score at 5-5 with 4:03 remaining in the third. The Panthers score just before the end of the quarter, then added a goal with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter for a 7-5 edge. Macalester put five shots on goal in the final quarter but was unable to beat Chapman goalkeeper Alyssa Welfringer. Overland finished with nine saves in the loss.

The California trip continues with a match at No. 2 Cal Lutheran on Friday, Mar. 16, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Pacific in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

MAC – 2 0 1 6 - 9
La Verne – 3 6 0 5 - 14
Macalester goals: Galasso 2, Moran 2, Mullery 2, Gray 2, Strait

MAC – 0 3 2 0 - 5
CU – 3 1 2 1 - 7
Macalester goals: Moran 2, Galasso 2, Mullery