Rustlers Finish Fifth at SoCal Regionals After Heartbreaking 19–18 Loss to Riverside

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The fifth-seeded Golden West College women's water polo team saw its postseason run come to a dramatic close on Thursday afternoon, falling in a thrilling 19–18 decision to Orange Empire Conference rival Riverside City College at the SoCal Regional Championships hosted by Southwestern College.

The Rustlers conclude the 2025 season with a 19–11 overall record, earning a fifth-place finish in the Southern California Regionals after one of the most competitive matches of the tournament.

Golden West and Riverside traded goals from the opening sprint, with neither side able to gain more than a two-goal advantage throughout the contest. The teams were tied 4–4 after the first quarter and 9–9 at halftime, setting the stage for a dramatic second half.

Hanna Menyhart led the Rustlers early, scoring twice in the opening period and adding a power-play goal late in the second quarter to keep Golden West even at the break. Mimi Versegi and Sienna Abernathy provided consistent offensive pressure as the Rustlers matched Riverside goal for goal through two quarters.

Riverside briefly pulled ahead in the third quarter behind a six-goal frame, but Golden West responded with goals from Versegi and Catherine Le to stay within striking distance heading into the fourth.

Golden West showed its resilience in the final eight minutes, erasing multiple deficits to tie the game on three separate occasions. Abernathy scored twice in the fourth quarter, while Le delivered a clutch power-play goal with 1:14 remaining to knot the score at 18–18.

With the clock winding down, Riverside found the decisive goal with just four seconds left, edging the Rustlers by a single score in a heart-stopping finish.