ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College water polo team defeated Occidental College, 7-6 in the late game on the second day of the Macalester Invite Saturday evening at Riley Pool. The Scots, who lost to McKendree, 5-3 earlier in the day, are now 2-1 on the season.

Against McKendree, sophomore Jess Palmer-Sammons (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first quarter. After McKendree tied the game with a goal near the end of the quarter, junior Kendall Coney (League City, Texas/Clear Creek) restored Macalester's lead with a goal early in the second quarter. The teams exchanged goals over the rest of the quarter, with first year Pooja Bucklin (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) finding the net to make the halftime score 3-2 Scots. After a scoreless third quarter, McKendree tallied three straight goals over a four-minute span in the fourth quarter to lead, 5-3. Macalester was unable to score the rest of the way, as McKendree closed out the win. Senior goalkeeper Laurel O'Hare (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) made six saves in goal for Macalester.

In the nightcap against Occidental, sophomore Alana Nadolski (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) scored twice in the first quarter for a 2-0 lead. After Occidental scored a goal just before the end of the quarter, Bucklin, sophomore Lorelei Bell (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) and junior Sian Lewandowski (North Haven, Conn./Williston Northampton) gave the Scots a 5-1 lead with three minutes left in the second quarter. Again the Tigers tallied a late goal to make the halftime score 5-2 Macalester.

Occidental tallied the first two goals of the third quarter before Bucklin scored again to put Macalester up by two, 6-4. The Tigers scored another, then Nadolski notched her third goal of the game just before the end of the third quarter to restore the two-goal lead, 7-5. The Scots kept Occidental off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter until 1:06 remained, but it was not enough to prevent Macalester from winning its second game of the invitational. Sophomore Jayden Kratt (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) registered four of her seven saves in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

Macalester plays Ottawa of Arizona in one of six games on the final day of the Macalester Invite on Sunday, Feb. 18. The Scots play at 3:15 p.m.

MAC – 1 2 0 0 - 3
McK – 1 1 0 3 - 5
Macalester goals: Palmer-Sammons, Coney, Bucklin

MAC –2 3 2 0 - 7
Oxy – 1 1 3 1 - 6
Macalester goals: Nadolski 3, Bucklin 2, Bell, Lewandowski