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Posted: Oct 19, 2012

Pair of Wins Get Owls Back to .500

Freshman Mandy Darafeev scored 14 goals on Friday, including a near program record 10 against Rio Hondo.
Freshman Mandy Darafeev scored 14 goals on Friday, including a near program record 10 against Rio Hondo.
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Cypress, CA (Women's Water Polo) -- A pair of wins on Friday afternoon, put the Citrus College Women's Water Polo team back at .500 for the first time since late September. The Owls recorded wins over Southwestern, 16-13, and Rio Hondo, 17-15, to get back to even mark in the win and loss column.

Citrus opened up day one of the Battle at the Beach Tournament on the campus of Cypress College when they tussled with Southwestern College for the second time this season. The results were the same as the first time they squared off as the Owls came away with a three point victory.

At halftime, the Owls clung to just a single score lead 8-7. In the third quarter, the Owls pulled away outscoring the Jaguars 6-2 to take a commanding 14-9 lead in the final frame. Southwestern outscored Citrus 4-2 in the fourth quarter, but the Owls' lead was enough. Sophomore Meghan Turner led the way with five goals and three assists. Freshman Mandy Darafeev added four scores and four assists, while freshman Lora Marquez-Solgado scored four goals and stole a team high three balls.

The offenses didn't slow down in the second contest as Citrus took on Rio Hondo for the second time in a week. The Roadrunners would jump out to a 7-4 lead after one quarter, and took a 9-6 advantage into the break. The third quarter belonged to Citrus though, as they went on a 7-1 run going up 13-10 after three. In the fourth the two teams practically traded goals with Rio Hondo outscoring Citrus by one, as the Owls hung on to win by two.

Darafeev controlled the game for Citrus scoring 10 goals, one shy of Citrus' single game record. Turner added five more goals for the Owls and also recorded a team high five assists and four steals. Marquez-Solgado and freshman Candelaria Baca added the other two scores on the day, with Baca also showing up on the defensive side of the ball by matching Turner's four steals.

With the two wins, Citrus improves to 13-13 on the year, the first time Citrus sits at .500 since being 6-6. The Owls will take on Sierra College and San Diego Mesa College tomorrow afternoon on the final day of tournament competition. The times are yet to be determined, but the events will take place at Long Beach City College.