ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A goal by junior Jess Palmer-Sammons (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) less than a minute into the second overtime period gave the Macalester College water polo team a 9-8 victory over top-seeded Austin College in the third-place game of the CWPA Division III Championship Sunday afternoon at Augustana College's Anne Greve Lund Natatorium. This is the third consecutive victory in the third-place game for the Scots, who close out the 2025 season with a record of 12-9.

Senior Elizabeth Matlin (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) opened the scoring early in the first quarter to give Macalester the early lead. The Kangaroos (12-9) responded with back-to-back goals before Palmer-Sammons and junior Alana Nadolski (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) found the net just before the end of the quarter for a 3-2 Scots' advantage. Only one goal was scored in the second quarter, with Austin tying the match 2:36 before halftime.

In the third quarter, the Kangaroos pulled ahead by outscoring Macalester, 4-2 to lead 7-5 heading into the final quarter. Sophomore Hannah Fasi (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani School) and Palmer-Sammons scored for the Scots in the third. Macalester didn't cut into Austin's lead until Matlin scored with 2:28 remaining in regulation. Palmer-Sammons converted a penalty shot at the 1:21 mark to tie the match at 7-7, but the Kangaroos scored just 20 seconds later to regain the lead. With time winding down, Matlin registered her third goal of the game to tie the score at 8-8 with 31 seconds to play. Junior goalkeeper Jayden Kratt (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) made a save in the final seconds to send the game to overtime.

After the first 3-minute overtime period ended without a goal, the Scots completed the comeback with Palmer-Sammons' fourth goal of the match 55 seconds into the period. Austin took three shots over the remaining 2:05, hitting the post once and missing the net twice, as Macalester closed out the victory. The win avenges the Scots' lone CWPA loss during the regular season, an 11-8 decision on Mar. 16 in Sherman, Texas.

Palmer-Sammons, who was named the CWPA Most Valuable Player earlier in the week, scored four goals and added an assist and a steal. She was named to the All-Tournament first team, and senior Kendall Coney (League City, Texas/Clear Creek) was chosen to the second team. Matlin finished with three goals, three assists and five steals in her final match as a Scot. Kratt ended up with 12 saves in goal, as Austin took 37 shots compared to 30 for Macalester.

Along with Matlin and Coney, seniors Olivia Dimka (Denton, Texas/John H. Guyer), Brooke Geel (Meriden, Conn./Hopkins School) and Sian Lewandowski (North Haven, Conn./Williston Northampton) also completed their careers on Sunday.

box score

Click here to view the tournament website.

MAC – 3 0 2 3 0 1 - 9
AC – 2 1 4 1 0 0 - 8
Macalester goals: Palmer-Sammons 4, Matlin 3, Fasi, Nadolski

2025 CWPA Tournament - Anne Greve Lund Natatorium, Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill.
(Times are Central Daylight Time)
Friday, April 11
Game 1 - No. 8 Connecticut College 17, No. 9 Wheaton 2
Game 2 - No. 2 Macalester 15, No. 7 Grove City 3
Game 3 - No. 3 Washington & Jefferson 16, No. 6 Carthage 14
Game 4 - No. 4 Augustana 17, No. 5 PSU-Behrend 4
Game 5 - No. 1 Austin 13, No. 8 Connecticut College 8

Saturday, April 12
Game 6 - No. 6 Carthage 12, No. 7 Grove City 8
Game 7 - No. 5 PSU-Behrend 21, No. 9 Wheaton 2
Game 8 - No. 2 Macalester vs. No. 3 Washington & Jefferson, 1:00 p.m.
Game 9 - No. 4 Augustana 17 vs. No. 1 Austin, 2:30 p.m.
Game 10 - No. 7 Grove City 22, No. 9 Wheaton 6
Game 11 - No. 5 PSU-Behrend 9, No. 8 Connecticut College 8 (OT)

Sunday, April 13
Seventh Place - No. 8 Connecticut College 12, No. 7 Grove City 11 (Seventh place)
Fifth Place - No. 6 Carthage 19, No. 5 PSU-Behrend 4 (Fifth place)
Third Place - Game 9 Loser vs. No. 2 Macalester 9, No. 1 Austin 8 (OT) (Third place)
Championship - No. 4 Augustana 10, No. 3 Washington & Jefferson 7 (Championship)