RIVERSIDE, Calif. – LMU women's water polo (3-1) took care of business on Saturday morning, winning both games at Cal Baptist's Jancer Joust. The #16 Lions opened the day with a 14-9 win over (RV) Pomona-Pitzer before cruising to a 16-3 win over Chapman.
 
GAME 1: LMU 14, Pomona-Pitzer 9
 
Alena Sanchez opened the game with two goals in two minutes. After the Sagehens got on the board, Melyssa Moore and Kelsey Snelgar scored less than a minute apart from one another to make it a 4-1 lead for the Lions. Pomona-Pitzer scored a power-play goal with 14 seconds remaining in the first to make it a 4-2 game after one period.
 
The Sagehens scored twice to open the second quarter to make it a one-score game at the 5:23 mark. LMU answered with goals by Snelgar on a 5-Meter and Mei Vilanova at even-strength to make it 6-4 at intermission.
 
Serena Zafiris scored early on in the third quarter to push it to a 7-4 game before the Sagehens scored the next two. The Lions responded with the next three goals as Abbey Grosse scored a pair sandwiched around a converted Moore 5-Meter. Pomona-Pitzer scored in the final 36 seconds to get one back and make it a 10-7 game after three.
 
Sanchez completed her hat trick bid in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, and Alexandra Akritidou added to the lead with her first of two in the quarter. Sanchez added a game-high fourth goal as the Lions picked up the 14-9 win to start the game.
 
Elizabeth Bradley made seven saves in the win.
 
GAME 2: LMU 16, Chapman 3
 
Once Chapman scored the game's first goal, it was all Lions the rest of the way. Serena Zafiris and Abbey Grosse scored one consecutive possessions to give LMU their first lead of the game with 4:49 to play in the first. Alexandra Akritidou and Melyssa Moore extended the lead to 4-1 before the Panthers scored the final goal of the half.
 
The Lions did not allow a goal in either the second or third quarters. Mei Vilanova and Alena Sanchez scored the two goals of the second quarter to push the lead to 6-2 at halftime.
 
Yanah Gerber, Risse Sanchez, Vilanova, Zafiris, and VIlanova each scored in the third quarter as part of LMU's 5-0 period to make it a 11-2 game after three.
 
The Panthers converted a 5-Meter goal at the start of the fourth quarter before Akitidou, Grosse, and two from Moore put a stamp on the win.
 
UP NEXT
 
LMU travels to Westwood for the UCLA Tournament on Feb. 1.