CLAREMONT, Calif. – LMU women's water polo looked sharp in the first two games of Convergence. The #7 Lions defeated #20 Wagner, 14-7, in the opening game of the tournament and then earned a 10-goal win over UC Merced, 16-6 to close out the day.
 
Game 1: #7 LMU 14, #20 Wagner
 
LMU took a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the game as Kawehi Kauahi converted a 6-on-5 and Sophia DeMattia capitalized at even strength less than a minute later. Wagner responded with the next three goals to take their first and only lead of the game. The Lions closed out the period with the final three goals over the last 2:28. Carolina Magano tied the game, Chelsea Isaac pushed LMU ahead, and Noa Sasover added a goal with eight seconds left in the period.
 
After scoring three to end the first, the Lions opened the second quarter with the first five goals to turn it into a run of eight consecutive goals and a 10-3 lead. Emison Styris, Anna Tarantino, Cianne Benjamin, and back-to-back from Magano extended the lead to seven with three minutes to play in the half. Wagner added one before the half to make it a 10-4 game at intermission.
 
The third quarter went back and forth as Styris and Sasover opened with goals, Wagner responded with a penalty shot, Benjamin scored on a powerplay, then the Seahawks scored the next two before Anna Tarantino pushed the lead to 14-7.
 
Neither team scored in the final period, keeping the seven-goal win intact.
 
Game 2: #7 LMU 16, UC Merced 6
 
The Lions jumped out ahead early, taking a 7-2 first quarter lead. Cianne Benjamin scored 20 seconds into play before the Bobcats tied the score on their first possession of the game. Chelsea Isaac, Benjamin, and Sophia DeMattia scored the next three goals to unbreak the tie and push the Lions on top. Following one more first quarter goal from UC Merced, Brooke Tora Gil scored for LMU and back-to-back goals from Anna Tarantino pushed the Lions by five after one.
 
UC Merced scored first in the second quarter before back-to-back goals from DeMattia pushed the lead to six. Banjamin scored her third of the game with one second remaining before the half.
 
After the Bobcats opened the second half with a goal, Ruby Meier and Athena Ayers scored on consecutive possessions for the Lions. The two sides traded off scoring the final four goals of the period as UC Merced added one, Meier scored one back for LMU, the Bobcats answered with another, and Carla Rivera closed out the period with one to make the score 14-6.
 
Neither team scored over the first seven-plus minutes of the fourth quarter until Meier completed her hat trick with 47 second to play and Payton Schrier scored as time expired.
 
Up Next: 

LMU will close out the tournament on Saturday with games against #14 Princeton at 11:00 AM and LIU at 2:45 PM.
 
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