No. 19 CSUEB Faces Full Slate with Four Games This Weekend
- February 18, 2010
HAYWARD, Calif. - Coming off three wins in Bakersfield last week, the 19th-ranked ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ women's water polo team will split its four games this weekend at home and at Sonoma State's Seawolf Splash. The Pioneers (4-4) will play host to Cal Lutheran on Friday and Fresno Pacific on Saturday before heading to Rohnert Park to face the host Seawolves and No. 15 UC Davis on Sunday.
East Bay went 3-1 at the Roadrunner Invitational, opening the weekend with a 14-10 loss to then-No. 9 Hartwick before bouncing back with one-goal wins over then-No. 17 Cal State Bakersfield, Colorado State and Santa Clara. The Pioneers posted a thrilling 10-9 overtime win over the host Roadrunners on Saturday, scoring three goals in the extra periods for the win.
On Sunday, East Bay opened the day with an 8-7 victory over Colorado State, out-scoring the Rams 3-1 in the third quarter and holding on for the win. The Pioneers capped the tournament with a come-from-behind, 9-8 win over Santa Clara. Meeting the Broncos for the second time this season, ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ trailed 7-3 at the half before roaring back with a 6-1 run in the final two quarters to seal the win.
The Pioneers are now 2-2 against top 20 teams and 4-1 versus Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) squads this season, picking up three wins against WWPA teams last week. East Bay also boasts the reigning WWPA Player of the Week in freshman utility Claire Pierce, who scored seven goals and added four assists and eight steals while drawing an impressive 24 ejections in four games last weekend. The Perth, Australia native has now totaled 10 goals in eight games this season.
Joining Pierce among the team leaders is Jenna Casady, whose 17 scores this season pace the Pioneers. Meanwhile, freshman goalie Emily Hucal has made an immediate impact, posting 21 saves last weekend, including a crucial fourth-quarter penalty-shot stop in the win over Santa Clara.
Cal Lutheran comes into the weekend with an 0-2 record after falling to Cal State Bakersfield and Colorado State last weekend at the Roadrunner Invite. The Regals were out-scored 28-15 in the two games, but saw sophomore two meter Kelsey Bergemann notch five of their seven goals in the loss to the Rams. Senior driver Meredith Butte leads Cal Lu, scoring eight goals in two games last week, including six of the Regals' eight against CSUB. Junior goalie Rachel Hahn posted 11 saves in six quarters of play at the tournament.
Fresno Pacific is coming off a three-game sweep at the Roadrunner Invite last weekend, and is looking to end an eight-game losing skid. The Sunbirds (1-10) last posted a win on Jan. 23, topping Azusa Pacific 10-9 in Fresno. Junior driver Brittney Guerrero and senior defender Borbala Toth share the team lead with nine goals apiece on the season. In goal, freshman Dani Mortimer has already accumulated 64 saves for the Sunbirds.
Sonoma State enters the week with a 1-8 record and is coming off a 17-6 loss to No. 1 Stanford on Feb. 13. The Seawolves captured their first win of the season at the Triton Invitational, topping Redlands 8-6 on Feb. 7 to snap a season-opening seven-game losing streak. Senior two meter Laurel Stricklin is pacing Sonoma with 16 goals and 44 shots on the year, while junior goalie Gina Uliana has posted 66 saves so far. The Seawolves will open their home tournament against Cal Lutheran and No. 15 UC Davis on Saturday before facing East Bay on Sunday.
UC Davis brings a 3-5 record into the Seawolf Splash this weekend after going 2-2 at the Triton Invitational on Feb. 6-7. The Aggies have been on a break from competitive action for 13 days coming into the tournament, posting a 14-3 victory over Cal State Bakersfield in their last game on Feb. 7. Freshman two meter Carla Ternasky leads UCD with 11 goals on the season, followed closely by senior two meter Dana Nelsen's nine goals and sophomore defender Kaylee Miller's eight scores. Senior Casey Hines has seen the majority of action in goal for the Aggies, posting 69 saves so far. Davis takes on Cal Lutheran, Sonoma State and No. 4 UCLA before meeting the Pioneers in the tournament finale.
Friday's meeting with Cal Lutheran is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Pioneer Pool. The first 50 fans who bring recyclable bottles will receive a free reusable Pioneers' Red Black and Green water bottle. First sprint on Saturday is set for 1 p.m. at Pioneer Pool, while Sunday's matchups with Sonoma State and UC Davis are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively, in Rohnert Park.