'Roos Advance to Fourth Straight CWPA Title Game

NEW LONDON, Conn. - For the fourth consecutive season, the No. 3-seed Austin College women's water polo team will be competing in the CWPA Championship Game after holding off No. 2-seed Macalester 8-7 in the tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon.

It was a tightly contested game throughout, with the 'Roos jumping out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Bianca Gallegos before heading into the second quarter with everything square at 2-2. Macalester took a 3-2 lead early in the second frame, and after a McKenna Malone tally to even things up, the 'Roos found themselves trailing 4-3 at halftime. 

Austin College scored three straight goals to open the third quarter, with Alyssa Ross, Kylee Noble, and Cory McGrath all getting on the board to put the 'Roos up 6-4 before Macalester tallied with two and a half minutes left to cut it to 6-5 heading into the fourth. Ross got the scoring started in the final period to make it 7-5 before Macalester scored two in a row to even things at 7-7 with 2:41 left to play. Austin College went on top for good with just 46 seconds left, when McGrath found the back of the cage for what would prove to be the game-winner.

McGrath, Ross, and Noble each scored twice while Malone and Gallegos had a goal each in the victory. The 'Roos will now take on the winner of Saturday afternoon's other semifinal game between top-seeded Augustana and No. 5-seed Washington & Jefferson, with the championship game set to begin at 1:30 p.m. (EDT).