Box Score: CSEB 5, SSU 3 - F
Box Score: CSEB 16, MU 6 - F

HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay earned a pair of wins at Pioneer Pool on Sunday defeating Sonoma State 5-3 and Mercyhurst 16-6. The Pioneers picked up their first Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) victory of the season and extended their winning streak to three games after comfortably taking out the Lakers.

Cal State East Bay scored the opening three goals of Sunday's opener and held Sonoma State (3-12, 1-1 WWPA) scoreless in the first quarter. Five different Pioneers would score in the first half in building a 5-1 halftime lead.

Goalkeeper Marrina Nation made 12 saves in the victory with arguably none bigger than a late third quarter penalty shot. The Seawolves made it 5-2 with 74 seconds left in the third and looking for another in the final minute when Nation stopped the cross-cage attempt.

"Our defense really stepped up today...Our defensive awareness is getting better every game," said East Bay Head Coach Lisa Cooper. "Marrina had a great day and displayed amazing leadership."

SSU goalkeeper Kim Covert made eight saves and shut out the Pioneers over the second half. She was outdueled by Nation, the reigning WWPA Player of the Week who held the Seawolves to one first half goal, scored on a 6-on-5 opportunity.

Cal State East Bay made the most of its premium scoring opportunities going 2-for-3 in player advantage chances and Sara Hudyn converted a penalty shot. Casey Rushforth, Olivia Mackell, Breanna Ritter, and Taylor Cross each scored in the victory.

"I was really happy with our patience during our 6-on-5 chances. We have had some difficulty converting our opportunities this season, but the way we executed our plays today was very encouraging," praised Cooper of the East Bay offense.

CSUEB took control early on against Mercyhurst (6-3) and blitzed the Lakers to the tune of a 12-4 halftime lead. The Pioneers went on an 11-1 run with Hudyn and Rushforth combining for seven goals during that stretch. Jennifer Lightbody scored back-to-back goals highlighted by a first quarter buzzer beater that put East Bay out front 7-2.

Nation has stopped double-digit shots in five of her last six games after posting 14 saves against Mercyhurst. Jesse Sworden and Rachel Stock shared time in front of the Lakers net and combined to make five stops.

Sonoma State defeated Mercyhurst 8-7 at Pioneer Pool with the game played in between the two Cal State East Bay contests. The Seawolves scored four unanswered goals to turn a two-goal deficit into a 7-5 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Lakers pulled within one in the waning seconds of regulation but were unable to force overtime.

Cal State East Bay (7-9, 1-1 WWPA) will host Cal State San Bernardino (1-9, 0-2 WWPA) on Saturday, March 15, at Noon.

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