Golden West College women's water polo team claimed fifth place in the Orange Empire Conference tournament with a hard-fought 14-11 victory over Cypress College on November 9, 2024, at home. The Rustlers, now 16-10 overall, used a dominant third quarter to pull away from Cypress, and move on to the SoCal Championships starting Thursday November 14. 

The game began evenly, with both teams tied at 2-2 by the end of the first quarter. Cypress struck first, with Jillian Van Gemert scoring off an assist from Isabelle Neri, but Golden West's Hanna Menyhart quickly responded with two goals to keep the score level. In the second quarter, Golden West edged ahead, outscoring Cypress 4-2, thanks to Menyhart's early score and Angi Franzetti and Candice DeMayo's goals just before halftime, pushing the Rustlers to a 6-4 lead.

Golden West broke the game open in the third quarter with an offensive surge, netting six goals to Cypress's five. Menyhart continued her scoring streak with two more goals, bringing her game total to five, while Zoe Esquivel and Makena Gray added crucial points to keep Cypress at bay. Although Cypress's Karly Lepel and Van Gemert fought back, Golden West ended the quarter with a 12-9 lead.

In the final quarter, the Rustlers sealed the victory with goals from Allyssa DeMayo, who tallied twice, while Cypress managed only two more goals. Goalkeeper Nathalia Johnston was key for Golden West, making 16 saves to keep Cypress's attack under control.

Menyhart's five-goal performance led Golden West, with support from Candice DeMayo's three goals and Franzetti and Gray's timely scores. Cypress's Van Gemert and Lepel each scored four, but it wasn't enough to overcome Golden West's balanced attack and strong defense, giving the Rustlers a 14-11 win to close the tournament.