Panthers Split at Home Invitational

The Chaffey College women's water polo team hosted an Invitational over the weekend, earning a split in two games at the Aquatic Center. The Panthers fell in their opening match to Crafton Hills College before responding with a resilient 5-4 win over Bakersfield College to close out the weekend.

In their opener, Chaffey battled throughout but came up short against Crafton Hills, 11-0. The Roadrunners built an early lead, but the Panthers' defense tightened as the match progressed. Goalkeeper Savannah Shaw led the effort in the cage, recording 11 saves while defenders Kaylee Pfalmer, Ani Babayan, and Elise Camarena helped disrupt passing lanes and limit second-chance opportunities. Offensively, Aubrey Castillo and Sarah Alexander generated several scoring looks from the perimeter, highlighting Chaffey's persistence on attack despite the final score.

The Panthers bounced back in the afternoon with a strong performance, defeating Bakersfield 5-4 behind balanced scoring and timely defense. Alexander put Chaffey on the board early, finishing a pass from Camarena to open a back-and-forth first half that ended tied 2-2. Pfalmer equalized late in the second period on a setup from Goalkeeper Annemarie Marcucci before the Panthers took control. Alexander and Mikaela Hernandez each scored in the third period to give Chaffey a one-goal edge, and Hernandez added the eventual game-winner in the fourth period off an assist from Alexander.

Marcucci earned the win in the cage, posting seven saves as the Panthers held Bakersfield to just one goal per period. Alexander led the attack with two goals and an assist, while Hernandez netted two goals in the win.

The Panthers will now turn their attention back to South Coast Conference play, traveling to Mt. San Antonio College on Wednesday, October 8, at 3 p.m.