Women's Water Polo Picks Up 3rd Straight SCC Win

The Pasadena City College women's water polo team will enter the South Coast Conference Tournament next month on a 3-game conference win streak. The Lancers downed host El Camino, 7-5, on Wednesday and improved to 3-5 in SCC games.

PCC (7-11 overall) used three goals by Zuri Pulido and two by Briana Santos. PCC led 3-1 by halftime and held a 6-1 lead before El Camino mounted a rally that fell short. The Lancers made a season-high 25 steals, six each by Santos, Christy Lam and Camila Grases. 

"The win was controlled by our defense," said PCC head coach Terry Stoddard. "We had great efforts defensively by Lam, Grases and Santos. Both teams made adjustments but our pressing team defense was stingy. We gave up three power play goals, so keeping El Camino to two even strength goals was impressive."

The Lancers went 1-3 at the Citrus Tournament held October 13-14. PCC lost to El Camino, 8-6, to open the tourney, then defeated another SCC foe Rio Hondo, 10-7, in the second game. Allan Hancock handed the Lancers a 9-3 defeat and San Diego Miramar got past them, 7-5. 

Against Rio Hondo, PCC scored seven goals in the second quarter to take a 10-5 halftime lead. Pulido collected three goals and three assists while Yesenia Marin also scored three goals and added three steals. 

After 18 games, the Lancers have three players with more than 30 goals in Santos (36), Marin (33) and Pulido (32). Grases is closing in on that mark with 28 goals and is tied with Lam for the team lead in assists with 25 each. Goalie Mariah York tops the squad in steals with 52.

The Lancers next play in the annual Battle at the Beach Tournament hosted by Long Beach City College on Friday-Saturday, October 20-21. PCC begins with a 10:20 a.m. game on Friday against Southwestern.