LONG BEACH, Calif. – #10 LMU women's water polo opened the new season with a 16-5 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps before battling with #3 USC in the second game of the day before falling, 16-10.
 
Game 1: #10 LMU 16, CMS 5
 
The Lions led 8-0 in the opening half and did not look back, growing the lead to as large as 11 in the fourth quarter.
 
Carolina Magano opened the scoring, with Anna Tarantino, Ruth Arino Ruiz, and Yanah Gerber all finding the back of the cage in the first quarter as well.
 
Tessa Matson, Sophie Kadifa, Tarantino again, and Cianne Benjamin all scored in the second quarter to take that first quarter lead and double it to 8-0 before intermission.
 
After the Athenas got on the board, Tarantino added her third and Sophia DeMattia gave LMU their 10^th to push ahead 10-1 with 5:57 in the third. CMS scored a goal with just over two minutes remaining before Arino Ruiz closed out the third with her second goal.
 
Tarantino finished with four goals on four shots as she opened the fourth with another score. Magano converted a penalty to bring the Lions ahead 13-2 less than two minutes into the final quarter. Following a CMS goal, the freshman Benjamin added her second of the game. Fellow freshman Sydney Chapman also scored her first collegiate goal in the period. After conceiting a late penalty shot goal, the Lions scored on their final possession with a goal from Lily Larson.
 
Alyssa Barnuevo made her LMU debut in the cage with five first half saves and no goals allowed in 16 minutes of action. Talia Herbermann added a scoreless eight minutes in her third quarter action and closed the game for the Lions with four saves and an assist over the final eight minutes.
 
Game 2: #3 USC 16, #10 LMU 10
 
USC scored the game's opening goal before Carolina Magano tied the score at 1-all less than a minute later. After the Trojans took their second lead of the day, Kawehi Kauahi went back-to-back to push the Lions ahead 3-2 with 4:15 to play in the first. USC scored the next two goals to create another lead change before Ruth Arino Ruiz tied the game at 4-all with one second left on the opening period clock.
 
The Trojans scored the first two goals of the second quarter before Sophie Kadifa's goal cut the deficit back to one with 2:36 remaining in the opening half. USC would score four of the final five goals of the period to take a 10-6 lead at intermission, with only Arino Ruiz's goal breaking up the scoring run.
 
After extending their lead to 12-6, Kauahi and Magano pulled LMU closer with a pair of goals off a powerplay and penalty shot, respectively. USC held a 13-8 lead going into the final eight minutes of play.
 
Magano led the Lions with a game-high four goals and found the back of the cage two more times in the fourth quarter. Despite the effort, the Trojans held on to win 16-10.
 
Alyssa Barnuevo played all 32 minutes in the cage for LMU, making seven saves.
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Lions travel to Hawaii to play three games in the Rainbow Invitational next Friday and Saturday.
 
 
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