Panthers Open South Coast Championship Play Against El Camino and Pasadena City

The Chaffey College women's water polo team delivered a strong showing at the South Coast Conference Championship Tournament at Cerritos College, splitting their two matchups on Friday. The Panthers battled in the opening round against El Camino College before bouncing back with a decisive win over Pasadena City College to advance to the fifth-place game.

In their first contest, Chaffey fell 11-8 to El Camino College despite an impressive offensive effort. The Panthers showed strong frontcourt movement and persistence across all four quarters against a disciplined Warriors squad. After trailing early, Sarah Alexander ignited the offense with back-to-back goals assisted by Mikaela Hernandez to close the first quarter within one. Pfalmer then converted another Hernandez feed to tie the game at 3-3, but El Camino capitalized on fast-break opportunities to lead 8-3 at halftime.

The Panthers fought back after the break, maintaining pace behind effective spacing and sharp execution. Alexander completed her hat trick off a pass from Elise Camarena, and Sarah Villa scored on an Alexander assist to make it 5-8. Alexander added her fourth goal of the match in the third quarter, and Camarena and Ani Babayan each scored late as Chaffey continued to press in the final minutes. Alexander led with four goals and three assists, Camarena, Pfalmer, Villa, and Babayan each added one goal, and Hernandez tallied three assists. Goalkeeper Savannah Shaw anchored the defense with five saves.

Chaffey rebounded with a dominant 18-1 win over Pasadena City College in the second round, displaying balance, communication, and control throughout the match. The Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 first-quarter lead with goals from Camarena, Pfalmer, Babayan, Alexander, Padilla, and Garcia. The offensive surge continued into the second quarter as Garcia netted two more goals and Alexander added another before halftime, extending the advantage to 13-1.

The Panthers kept their foot on the gas through the second half, closing out the win with efficient passing and structured play. Camarena completed her hat trick off a feed from Garcia, while Babayan tallied her third goal in the third quarter. Villa scored twice in the final frame, and Camarena added a power-play conversion to cap the Panthers' 18-goal performance.

Camarena led all scorers with four goals and two assists, Garcia added three goals and two assists, and both Babayan and Villa finished with three goals apiece. Pfalmer contributed two goals and two assists, Alexander added two goals and two assists, and Shaw earned the win in goal, holding Pasadena scoreless for three quarters.

With the victory, Chaffey advances to the fifth-place game of the South Coast Conference Championship Tournament. The Panthers will face East Los Angeles College on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 9:45 a.m. at Cerritos College.