No. 12 Cypress Chargers Upset No. 5 Citrus Owls to Advance in 3C2A SoCal Regionals

COSTA MESA, CA - The No. 12 Cypress Chargers Women's Water Polo team pulled off an impressive 13-7 victory over the No. 5 Citrus Owls in the opening round of the 3C2A SoCal Regionals. This hard-fought win propels the Chargers to the second round, where they'll face the No. 4 Saddleback Bobcats in a much-anticipated Orange Empire Conference showdown on Friday, November 15 at 10:15 a.m.

The matchup between Cypress and Citrus was a thrilling contest from the start, with both teams locked in a defensive battle. The first period ended in a 2-2 tie, and the score remained even at 5-5 by halftime.

Cypress came out strong in the third period, highlighted by Marilyn Rodriguez's clutch goal from well beyond the 5-meter mark to set the tone. Rodriguez had a stellar performance with 17 saves in the net, plus two goals and an assist on the field. Jillian Van Gemert led the Chargers in scoring, netting five goals, while Hayley Bradshaw distributed four assists to fuel the Chargers' offensive efforts.

As the third period came to a close, Cypress started to widen the gap, pulling ahead 10-6. The Chargers kept the momentum going in the final period, closing out the game with a 13-7 victory over the Owls.

UP NEXT: Cypress will face Saddleback on Friday, November 15 at Orange Coast College for round two of the SoCal Regionals. Match is set to begin at 10:15am. 

Stay connected with the Chargers through social media. Follow Cypress College Athletics on Twitter @CypressChargers. Check in with the Chargers on Facebook/CypressChargers and on Instagram @CypressChargers.