NORTON, Mass. – Four different players scored twice in the match, as the Macalester College water polo team began the CWPA Division III Championship with an 11-6 win over seventh-seeded Connecticut College Friday morning at Wheaton College's Balfour Natatorium. The Scots, seeded second in the tournament, improve to 13-5 overall and advance to Saturday's semifinal round against sixth-seeded Grove City College.

The teams exchanged goals over the first five minutes of the first quarter, with senior Kendall Strauss (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock) and sophomore Anna Gaisser (Seattle, Wash./Ingraham) scoring for Macalester. Senior Lorelei Bell (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) found the net just before the end of the quarter, then first year Reese Winegar (Hoffman Estates, Ill./William Fremd) scored the first goal of the second quarter for a 4-2 lead. Connecticut College (3-9) tallied back-to-back goals to tie the match before senior Jess Palmer-Sammons (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) put the Scots up 5-4 with a goal just before halftime.

Early in the third quarter, senior Alana Nadolski (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) extended Macalester's lead with two consecutive goals that made the score 7-4 Scots. Winegar and sophomore Mak Kratz (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) answered another Camels goal to put Macalester up, 9-5 heading into the fourth. B Juno Aselton opened the final period with her fourth goal of the match, but Palmer-Sammons and Strauss closed out the match with goals for an 11-6 victory.

Winegar, Nadolski, Palmer-Sammons and Strauss each scored twice for the Scots, with Gaisser adding three assists. Senior goalkeeper Jayden Kratt (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) registered 14 saves and a .700 save percentage in goal for Macalester.

The Scots will face Grove City, who upset third-seeded Washington & Jefferson, in the semifinals on Saturday, April 11 at 12:00 p.m. Central. This is the fourth consecutive year that Macalester has advanced to the semifinals of the CWPA Championship.

MAC – 3 2 4 2 - 11
CC – 2 2 1 1 - 6
Macalester goals: Strauss 2, Winegar 2, Nadolski 2, Palmer-Sammons 2, Gaisser, Bell, Kratz

2026 CWPA Tournament - Balfour Natatorium, Wheaton College, Norton, Mass.
(Times are Central Daylight Time)
Friday, April 10
Game 1 - No. 8 PSU-Behrend 13, No. 9 Wheaton 4
Game 2 - No. 2 Macalester 11, No. 7 Connecticut College 6
Game 3 - No. 6 Grove City 16, No. 3 Washington & Jefferson 13
Game 4 - No. 4 Carthage vs. No. 5 Austin, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5 - No. 1 Augustana vs. No. 8 PSU-Behrend, 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 11
Game 6 - No. 3 Washington & Jefferson vs. No. 7 Connecticut College, 9:00 a.m.
Game 7 - Game 4 Loser vs. No. 9 Wheaton, 10:30 a.m.
Game 8 - No. 2 Macalester vs. No. 6 Grove City, 12:00 p.m. Live video | Live stats
Game 9 - Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 10 - Game 7 Loser vs. Game 6 Loser, 3:00 p.m.
Game 11 - Game 7 Winner vs. Game 5 Loser, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 12
Seventh Place - Game 11 Loser vs. Game 10 Winner, 7:00 a.m. (Seventh place)
Fifth Place - Game 11 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 8:30 a.m. (Fifth place)
Third Place - Game 9 Loser vs. Game 8 Loser, 10:00 a.m. (Third place)
Championship - Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 11:30 a.m. (Championship)