Highest Scoring Game Marks WWP's Rally To Beat ELAC, 18-16

Trailing by as much as 14-10 with a minute left in the third quarter, the Pasadena City College women's water polo team staged a furious comeback, scoring seven goals in the fourth period for a wild, 18-16, South Coast Conference victory over East Los Angeles College. Wednesday's contest marked the highest scoring home game (two teams) in PCC WWP history. The Aquatic Center officially opened in 2000.

East LA (3-8, 2-4 in SCC play) led 6-4 after one quarter, 11-8 by halftime and held a 14-11 lead entering the fourth. PCC (5-8, 2-5) only had one previous brief lead at 3-2, but would score six consecutive goals to take a 16-14 advantage with 2:30 left. It started with a power play goal by Briana Santos with 36 seconds to go in the third period. At 1:10 of the fourth, Yesenia Marin scored and 45 seconds later Santos went on a breakaway and powered a close-range shot that just crossed the line. Santos, a lefty shooter, one-timed a pass from Zuri Pulido at 4:39 to tie it at 14-14. With 3:20 left, Camila Grases found the corner of the net on an assist by Christy Lam for a 1-goal Lancers lead. 

With 2:30 remaining in the contest, Lam lit the lamp for a 2-goal lead. ELAC finally ended PCC's streak of scores with a penalty shot goal that cut it to 16-15 with two minutes to go. Santos responded with a bullet shot with 1:23 left, and after the Huskies again scored, the freshman Santos delivered a clinching goal on a pass from Grases with 57 seconds in the game. 

Santos scored seven goals in all, which is the most by a Lancers player since 2014. Grases was a perfect 5-for-5 on shot attempts for her five goals. Pulido scored the Lancers first three goals and added three assists while Jennifer Ortega came off the bench to add a goal and five assists. Lam contributed four helpers. Goalie Mariah York made seven saves, a team-high five steals and assisted on two goals with long passes. 

The 34 goals combined beats the 2014 Aquatic Center total of 31 scored when PCC routed LA Trade Tech for a school-record 26 goals in a 26-5 win. The most goals scored in any PCC game was 39 in a 2013 loss at LA Trade Tech, 21-18. The date October 11 has seen a couple of other high marks. On that date in 2006, PCC lost at El Camino, 19-17 (36 goals, second highest total) in overtime. And on that day in 2013, PCC lost to Trade Tech at the Aquatic Center, 15-14, also in overtime (third highest home total).

"When our players really go after it, like they did in that last quarter, they can see what it takes to win," said PCC head coach Terry Stoddard. "We have shooters in that pool, more than I've had on any one team. I thought we did a good job of passing and setting up open shots. Santos is starting to come into her own as a freshman. She has a deadly shot and she was a big part of our comeback. Cammie really was superb on the power play and she delivered in key moments."

The Lancers connected on 18 of their 29 attempts for a 62 percent accuracy and were 4-for-8 on the player advantages. East LA was paced by Allyson Jimenez, who scored seven goals and Amy Cervantes with five goals and a game-high seven steals. 

PCC has scored 133 goals in 13 games, an average of 10.2 per game. Last season, they scored only 163 goals in 26 games, just 6.3 per contest. The ELAC game was the fifth time that PCC has scored at least 15 goals--all PCC victories.

Prior to the game, PCC held its Sophomore Tribute with announcements made for sophomores Pulido, Lam and Sophia Woods. On Friday-Saturday, Oct. 13-14, the Lancers take part in the 4-game, Citrus College Tournament. They open with a game against El Camino at 7:50 a.m. on Friday.