Panthers Go 2-0 at Cypress Invitational

The Chaffey College women's water polo team turned in a strong showing and won both games at the Cypress Invitational on Saturday. The Panthers displayed balanced scoring, timely defense, and steady goalkeeping across the busy day of action.

Chaffey opened the day with a 7-6 win over East Los Angeles College. After falling behind 2-1 in the first quarter, the Panthers surged with a four-goal second period to take back control of the game. Alyssa Garcia paced the offense with a team-high three goals, while Sarah Alexander added two goals. Ani Babayan and Mikaela Hernandez also found the back of the cage, helping Chaffey maintain its edge over the Huskies. Babayan, Alexander, Elise Camarena, and Kaylee Pfalmer each registered an assist. Goalkeeper Savannah Shaw recorded six saves as the defense held the Huskies to a single goal in the final frame.

In the second matchup, Chaffey defeated Southwestern College 11-4. The Panthers struck early to gain the upper hand, with Babyan fueling the offense with a hat trick. Alexander, Garcia, and Camarena each scored twice, while Hernandez and Aubrey Castillo added goals of their own. Assists were spread across the lineup, with contributions from Garcia, Alexander, Annemarie (Annie) Marucci, Sarah Villa, Hernandez, Castillo, Pfalmer, Shaw, and Camarena. Goalkeeper Marcucci was steady in the cage and recorded six saves, and the Panthers' defense silenced Southwestern through the first two quarters to build an 8-0 advantage.

The Panthers will now turn their attention to conference play, returning home to host Long Beach City College on Wednesday, September 17, at 4:30 p.m.