NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's water polo team opened the 2023 season by splitting games in a tri-match with Utica University and Carthage College on Saturday at Lott Natatorium.

The Camels picked up a 15-9 victory over Utica in their morning match as a trio of newcomers led the way. First year Gigi Sandull (Kenilworth, N.J.) paced the offense with four goals in her collegiate debut, and classmates Ainsley Cornwall (San Mateo, Calif.) and Anna Taylor (Pleasanton, Calif.) added three scores apiece.

Conn dropped its afternoon contest against Carthage by a 10-9 final. The Firebirds netted the game-winning goal with 13 seconds left in the match and held on to the finish. Emma Luna (Wahiawa, Hawaii), another new addition to the squad, led the Camels with a game-high six goals.

Conn College returns to action on March 13-15 with a West Coast trip that features three contests.

Game 1 – Conn College 15, Utica 9

Cornwall and Sandull each netted a hat trick in the opening quarter to stake the Camels to a 6-0 advantage. Utica got on the board with a pair of goals to start the second period, but Conn maintained the lead and tacked on a pair of scores from Taylor in the final 1:08 of the half to lead 8-3 at the break.

Brooke Brandenburger (Sacramento, Calif.) and Lien Har (Orange, Conn.) added goals for Conn in the third quarter, but Utica countered with three scores to cut the deficit to 10-6. In the final period, the Camels snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback with five goals, stretching the lead to as many as seven.

Yiota Tsiali (Varvara, Greece) made her first start in goal for the Camels and finished with four saves in the win.  

Game 2 – Carthage 10, Conn College 9

After Carthage drew first blood in the opening seconds of the contest, Conn quickly responded thanks to a goal by Maria Sell (San Mateo, Calif.). The Firebirds went ahead once more before Luna took over on the offensive end. She tallied four straight goals—two in the first quarter, and another two early in the second—as the Camels built a 5-2 lead.

Carthage, which evened the score at 5-5 by halftime, pulled in front with a goal in the third period. Luna's final two tallies came in the quarter as well, the second of which tied the game at 7-7. Later, a goal by Sandull with 17 seconds left in the third pushed the Camels back on top heading into the final period.

The Firebirds scored twice in the fourth to take a 9-8 lead with 3:32 remaining. Sandull then struck for her second goal of the contest, tying the game with 2:36 to go. Both sides scrambled for the go-ahead score down the stretch, which finally came from Carthage's Morrigan Bushroe-Stumpf with 13 ticks left on the clock.

Tsiali made eight stops in goal for the Camels.

Prior to the contest, Conn College honored seniors Maria Sell and Lien Har in a special ceremony.