Tigers Finish Second at CCCAA Championships for Third Straight Season
PASADENA -- Finishing as state runner-up for third consecutive season, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's water polo team still can take solace in that it finished its season at California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Women's Water Polo Championships for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
Riverside (26-4 overall), the South No. 1 seed, lost, 9-7, to the South's No. 2-seeded San Diego Mesa College (SDMC) Olympians (28-3 overall) Saturday (Nov. 21) in the (CCCAA) Women's Water Polo Championships Final, which was hosted by Pasadena City College.
SDMC was making its first appearance in the state women's water polo championships.
In the CCCAA third-place game, North No. 1-seeded Diablo Valley College (DVC) Vikings (26-3 overall) won, 11-9, over North No. 2-seeded San Joaquin Delta College (SJDC) Mustangs (23-8 overall).
Saturday's meeting between RCC and SDMC was the fourth this season and Riverside won the two middle games.
At the end of the first quarter, the teams were tied, 2-2, after RCC led, 2-0. SDMC came back to lead 5-4, on a goal by Bailey Wickliffe and led, 6-4 at halftime. Riverside scored the only goal of the third quarter, but trailed, 6-5. Wickliffe finished with three goals.
S.D. Mesa goalie Madison Atkins, the tourney MVP, made 11 saves and none bigger than a block with no defender near on Jaclyn Myers with 3:17 in the game with the Olympians leading, 8-6.
RCC sophomore goalkeeper Kayla Chang (Laie, Oahu, HI / Kahuku HS '13) -- who is pictured -- went the distance and made 12 saves. Chang was named to the state all-tournament team from RCC, along with sophomore attacker Kelley Geurts.
In the fourth quarter, Riverside got to within 7-6 on a lob shot by Citlali Salazar (at 6:30), but just 26 seconds later Cassie Bernas regained the two‐goal advantage for SDMC with a mid‐range goal.
Saturday's runner-up finish was the sixth in the history of RCC women's water polo.
***
Women's Championship Final S2 San Diego Mesa 9, S1 Riverside City 7
Score by Quarters
SDMC 2‐4‐0‐3-‐9
RIV 2‐2‐1‐2-‐7
Scoring
SDM: Bailey Wickcliffe 3, Jaicey Tyler 2, Cassie Bernas 2, Ellie Williams, Lilli Lindgard
Record: 28‐3
RIV: Sarina Briseno 2, Emily Martin 2, Jaclyn Myers, Citlali Salazar, Kelley Geurts
Record: 26‐4
Goalie saves: SDMC: Madison Atkins 11, RIV: Kayla Chang 12
***
Friday's appearance in the CCCAA Championships was Riverside's third consecutive and 11th in the last 12 seasons (except for 2012) and 14th all-time. Riverside has won the state championship four times (2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011), has been runner-up five times (1999, 2001, 2006, 2013, and 2014) and has placed third on four occasions (2000, tie-2004, 2008, 2009) since the women's water polo state championships were initiated with the 1996 campaign.
Third-year RCC head women's water polo coach Doug Finfrock (UC Irvine '03) was a goaltender for RCC men's water polo in 1999 & 2000. He was a first team all-Orange Empire Conference (OEC) selection and second team all-America honoree in 1999. In 2000, he was a first team all-OEC pick, first team all-Southern California selection, and garnered first team all-America kudos.
Finfrock finished his third season as RCC's head women's water polo coach and has an overall record of 81-15. He has two other CCCAA runner-up finishes: in 2013 (28-5 overall) and 2014 (27-6 overall).
***
http://www.cccaasports.org/sports/wwaterpolo/composite - Women
-30-