THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Macalester College water polo team earned a hard-fought victory over second-ranked Cal Lutheran, 6-4 Friday afternoon at the Samuelson Aquatics Center. The seventh-ranked Scots improve to 8-2 with the win, while the Regals drop to 11-5.

According to Ed Haas, the director of communications for the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), Macalester's win over the No. 2 Regals represents the highest-ranked Division III women's water polo team ever defeated by a CWPA member.

Macalester trailed 3-1 after two quarters before building its comeback. Sophomore Cara Mullery (Palmetto Bay, Fla./MAST Academy) scored at the 4:01 mark of the third quarter, then junior Lucille Moran (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) tallied back-to-back goals to give the Scots a 4-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Moran found the net again with 5:45 to play, then sophomore Oriana Galasso (Gresham, Ore./Central Catholic) scored less than a minute later to put Macalester on top, 6-3 with 4:49 left. Cal Lutheran tallied a goal with 1:48 on the clock to make it a 6-4 lead, but that's as close as the Regals would get.

The Scots outshot Cal Lutheran, 17-7 for the game, with junior goalkeeper Courtney Overland (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani) making two saves. Moran finished with three goals, while Mullery scored twice and Galasso scored once.

Macalester, which lost close games to No. 5 Chapman and No. 6 La Verne yesterday, will face third-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 8 Redlands on Saturday, Mar. 17 in Redlands, Calif.

MAC – 0 1 3 2 - 6
CLU – 2 1 0 1 - 4
Macalester goals: Moran 3, Mullery 2, Galasso