LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Macalester College water polo team began play at the Claremont Convergence on Friday with a 7-2 win over Caltech and an 8-6 loss to Occidental at the De Mandel Aquatics Center. The matches are the first of four contests in California for the Scots, who are now 1-5 on the season.

In the day's first game, Macalester got on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a goal by senior Riley Waters (Portland, Oregon/St. Mary's Academy). Junior Sydney Hollingsworth (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) and first year Brooke Lane (Meriden, Conn./Hopkins School) found the net in the second quarter to give the Scots a 3-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, junior Eleanor Michaud (Long Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) scored for a 4-0 Macalester advantage before Caltech scored its first goal of the game to make the score 4-1. Early in the fourth quarter, Michaud scored again, followed by two more goals from Hollingsworth for a commanding 7-1 lead. The Beavers scored with 42 seconds remaining to wrap up the scoring.

Sophomore goalkeeper Laurel O'Hare (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) tallied nine saves in the win.

Against Occidental, the Scots trailed 3-2 after the first quarter despite two goals from senior Annika Krueger (Emerald Hills, Calif./Sequoia). Macalester rallied in the second, getting two goals from Waters and another from Hollingsworth to lead, 5-3. Occidental scored with a minute to go in the quarter, only to have Krueger register her third goal of the match midway through the third quarter for a 6-4 advantage. Again the Tigers scored before the end of the quarter, then tied the match three minutes into the fourth quarter. With 39 seconds remaining a penalty foul is called on Macalester, and the Tigers' Abigail Lavold converted the penalty shot for a 7-6 Occidental lead. The Tigers add another goal before time expired, as the Scots fall to Occidental by the same score of the match on Feb. 20 between the two teams.

O'Hare made five saves for Macalester, as the Tigers held a 17-14 edge in shots.

The Scots play two more matches at the Claremont Convergence on Saturday, Mar. 5, facing La Verne (1:30 p.m. Central) and Redlands (5:15 p.m. Central) at Las Flores Park.

MAC – 1 2 1 3 - 7
Caltech – 0 0 1 1 - 2
Macalester goals: Hollingsworth 3, Michaud 2, Waters, Lane

MAC – 3 2 1 0 - 6
Oxy – 2 2 1 3 - 8
Macalester goals: Krueger 3, Waters 2, Hollingsworth