OCCIDENTAL,
Calif. – In its sixth and seventh games in less than a week, the VMI water polo
team showed its versatility as well as resiliency as the Keydets took on
Occidental and Vanguard in a doubleheader on Thursday.
Unfortunately,
the Keydets fell in both games, dropping a 16-9 decision against Occidental,
the top-ranked Division III team in the CWPA poll and winner of 14 of its last
15 games. But the Keydets rebounded in the next game, but were narrowly edged
11-7 against Vanguard.
Freshman
Mackenzie Perkins continued her sizzling scoring streak, putting away three
goals against Oxy and another hat trick against Vanguard. Molly Andoe was another
scorer on the day for the Keydets (1-7), finding the back of the cage twice
against Occidental and burying three shots against Vanguard.
Fellow
freshman Heather Magill tucked away one goal against Vanguard while senior Sam
Farr posted one marker against Occidental.
Between
the pipes, senior keeper Amanda Berrios made 11 saves in the first game, while
turning aside another seven in game two.
One of
the big stories on the day was from Bradford, Mass. native Tatian Wabrek. The
team's starting keeper, Berrios, took a shot to the face and sat out the third
quarter to be treated. Wabrek, the team's tallest player at 5-11, made a save
and got one pass out on the counter attack, serving as the team's backup
goalie.
In the
first game with Oxy, things were close after the first quarter, with the action
knotted at 3-3. Perkins scored two of her goals in that period while Andoe
chipped in another. But the Tigers (17-3) utilized a 6-0 second quarter to
break the contest open.
VMI
will wrap up its west coast action on Friday and Saturday as the Keydets
partake in the Lancer Invite. Things get going for VMI on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Pacific Standard Time (4:30 p.m. EST) against George Washington University at 1
p.m. That game will be played at Cal Baptist.
The
Keydets continue game play on Friday, taking on Redlands at 6:30 p.m. PST (9:30
p.m. EST). That game will be played at Redlands.
