Trailing for nearly the entire game, the Pirates' women's water polo team came back to force overtime at Citrus on Wednesday, only to fall in the extra period, 9-8. Kendal Santos had an outstanding day offensively with six goals along with six drawn ejections and three steals while Kendall Ribbers netted a score with three thefts and a pair of drawn ejections. Daphne Neilan scored the other goal for VC (11-9, 3-2). Ahna Davis turned back 12 Citrus shots in the cage.
In a defensive battle early, Citrus took a 1-0 lead with 4:30 remaining in the first quarter. Neilan evened the score with an unassisted goal at the 1:48 mark.
The opponents continued to dual on defense as the second period remained scoreless through its halfway point. The Owls netted back-to-back goals before Santos found the inside of the cage to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:48 remaining in the half. Citrus scored one more time before intermission and led 4-2 at the break.
Citrus and VC traded goals through the third quarter with Santos providing the spark for the Pirates with three scores in the period. Ventura still trailed 7-5 headed to the final eight minutes of regulation time.
Ventura buckled down on defense in the final stanza, holding the Owls without a score. Santos netted her fourth straight score at the 6:40 mark of the quarter before tying the game off a Gabrielle Mendoza dime with 2:29 remaining. The teams were knotted at 7-7 after regulation time.
The Owls struck first in the bonus time, and Ribbers scored the equalizer with 42 seconds remaining in the first of two extra periods. In the final stanza, Citrus scored with 1:53 on the clock and Ventura did not have another goal to score, dropping the 9-8 decision.
Emily Baughn recorded three assists with two drawn ejections and a steal in the game and Mendoza dropped a dime with two steals and a drawn ejection.
The loss drops the Pirates into a tie for second place in the Western State Conference standings with Citrus and Cuesta. Before the WSC Tournament on Nov. 4, Ventura will travel to the Dia de los Muertos Tournament at Southwestern College in Chula Vista on Friday and Saturday Oct. 28 and 29.