Caltech’s Johnston Nabs Third Hat Trick Against Division 3 No. 4 Chapman

Freshman Katie Johnston converted all three shot attempts for her third hat trick of the season as Caltech women’s water polo fell to Division III No. 4 Chapman University on Saturday morning in the final game before the SCIAC Championships.

The Panthers surged ahead to a 12-0 lead at halftime before Johnston took things into her own hands, netting three straight Beavers goals midway through the third quarter and early in the fourth before classmate Brittany Percin notched another for Caltech. Freshman Hana Keller joined the rookie duo in the scoring column with her first career goal as the fourth quarter wound down to a 20-5 Chapman win.

The Beavers bid farewell to a trio of seniors who played in the final home game of their careers – Alexandra Ilic, Soumya Kannan and Stephanie Wong.

Head Coach Jon Bonafede and the #9 seed Beavers will face #8 seed Occidental College (3-11, 1-7) in the opening game of the SCIAC Championships in Redlands, Calif. at noon on Friday, Apr. 22.