Score sheet

HAYWARD, Calif. — Claire Pierce saved her best performance of the season for her final game at Pioneer Pool. The lone senior on the 2013 team scored a season-high seven goals as the Pioneers defeated Colorado State (7-16, 2-4 WWPA) on Senior Day by a score of 13-8. It's a huge conference win for Cal State East Bay (12-12, 2-4 WWPA), which allowed five first-quarter goals, but then held the Rams to three total scores in the final three quarters.

There was a brief ceremony prior to the game to honor Pierce, who will finish her career as CSUEB's all-time leader in goals and steals. The native of Perth, Australia is a three-time All-American, three-time All-WWPA selection, and three-time All-Academic honoree.

"Claire had an awesome game," said head coach Lisa Cooper after the game. "She really stepped up on both ends of the pool. I am so proud of her; she had great offensive patience. Claire, Sara Hudyn, and Jennifer Lightbody did a great job defensively on Colorado Stats's hole-sets. I'm so happy our team was able to send Claire out with a big win in her last game at Pioneer Pool."

Pierce already owns three of the five highest-scoring seasons in Pioneer history, and she was aiming to add a fourth to the list early in today's game. She netted two goals in what was an explosive first quarter offensively. East Bay grabbed a 4-1 lead, but the Rams came back thanks to three goals from Ariel Arcidiacono. The teams were tied 5-5 after one period.

Pierce almost single-handedly took over in the second quarter, scoring all four of East Bay's goals as the Pioneers began to pull away. The defense stepped up and pitched a shutout for the period, allowing the team to take a 9-5 lead into halftime.

East Bay got a pair of goals from freshman Casey Rushforth in the third quarter, helping them extend their lead even further. Marrina Nation made a couple of nifty saves, as the Pioneer defense continued to hold CSU in check. Heading into the fourth quarter, East Bay held a commanding 13-6 lead.

The Pioneers took their foot off the gas a bit in the fourth, but ended up cruising to the 13-8 win, their second in conference play this year. Pierce's seven goals led all players.

Rushforth added two, while Hudyn, Julia Charlesworth, Hollie Mickelson, and Allison Zell netted one score apiece. Nation totaled 12 saves as the goalkeeper.

“That was the best defense we have played all season,” added Cooper. “We really buckled down after the first quarter and only allowed Colorado State score three times in the last three quarters. Our defensive communication was amazing.”

The weekend is off to a good start, but the Pioneers still have four tough games ahead of them. The team will head down to Santa Clara to compete in the Bronco Invitational, featuring games against Sonoma State, No. 8 Hawaii, and the host Broncos. East Bay will also play its final WWPA contest of the year against No. 17 UC San Diego on Sunday. Check out the Bronco Invitational Homepage to follow all the action.