NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Macalester College water polo team beat Austin College today to win the CWPA Division III Championship for the third-consecutive time. Sophomore Cara Mullery (Palmetto Bay, Fla./MAST Academy) and junior Oriana Galasso (Gresham, Ore./Central Catholic) each tallied hat-tricks to help the Scots win the title 8-5 over Austin. Senior goalkeeper Courtney Overland (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani) was named player of the game with 14 saves in the victory.

In the first, the Scots fell behind 1-0 but Galasso scored her first of three goals to tie the game at 5:05. Under two minutes, Austin took a 2-1 lead. But with 24 seconds on the clock senior Lucille Moran (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) was awarded and converted a penalty shot to make it even at 2-2 going into the second quarter.

The Scots had a strong defensive second quarter and shutout Austin. At 4:03, with Austin down a player, Galasso tallied another goal to put the Scots up. Then Mullery doubled the lead with a shot at 2:30 to make the score 4-2 for Macalester.

Austin came back in the third and scored two goals to tie the game 4-4. But then Mullery led the Scots offense and tallied a strike at 2:08 and another one with five seconds left on the clock. Macalester went into the fourth up 6-4.

It took first year Riley Waters (Portland, Ore./St. Mary's Academy) and the Scots just over a minute to score and take the 7-4 advantage in the fourth. Macalester continued to play stingy defense and kept Austin to just one goal. The Scots sealed the win with a goal by Galasso at 4:35 in the period. Macalester saw the rest of the period out and won the CWPA Division III Tournament Championship 8-5.

Mullery was named to the CWPA Championship All-Tournament First Team. And both Galasso and Moran were honored with spots on the CWPA Championship All-Tournament Second Team. Under Coach Scott Reed, the Scots went undefeated in CWPA play for the second season in a row this year. This is his third CWPA Tournament Championship at Macalester.

Austin College – 2 0 2 1 - 5
Macalester – 2 2 2 2- 8
Macalester goals: Galasso 3, Mullery 3, Moran 1, Waters 1