Box Score: CSUEB 11, WC 6 - F
Box Score: CSUEB 17, OXY 8 - F

WHITTIER, Calif. – Cal State East Bay never trailed during Sunday's 11-6 road win over the nation's top ranked Division III squad in Whittier. The Pioneers then matched their season-high scoring output putting up 17 goals against Occidental in a lopsided victory to close out its games at the Slade Aquatics Center.

Cal State East Bay 11, Whittier 6 – F
CSUEB became the first Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) team to defeat Whittier in three tries after the DIII top ranked Poets narrowly took down both Cal State Monterey Bay and Sonoma State earlier this season.

Four different Pioneers scored multiple goals and senior goalkeeper Marrina Nation made 13 stops while providing pinpoint passing throughout the victory.

It was a low scoring, heavy swimming first quarter with only two goals scored over the opening eight minutes. Tori Dettloff opened the scoring only 93 seconds into the game with the one of her two first half scores.

Whittier (13-11) drew the first two of 11 earned exclusions in the game to set up a potential game-tying 6-on-4 opportunity. The Poets shot went high of target and was one of eight missed opportunities in 10 player advantage chances for the home side.

Casey Rushforth recorded hat tricks with three goals and three assists to lead all players. Her first score was set up by a save and long lead pass from Nation as Rushforth completed the counterattack.

Whittier pulled even with 3:29 left until halftime before goals from Ka'iliponi McGee and Dettloff on back-to-back possessions gave the visiting Pioneers a 4-2 lead at intermission.

Rushforth's cross pass from Bre Ritter who went upper nearside corner pushing the lead to three. Taylor Cross netted her first of two goals extending the East Bay scoring run to four after converting a 6-on-5 receiving the pass from Alyssa Hess.

Whittier stayed within comeback range trailing by an 8-6 margin with 6:33 left in regulation. A couple of late third quarter scores from Jenel Rivera and a fourth quarter tally from Angelica Hernandez made it close down the stretch.

However the Pioneers scored seven second half goals and put the game away with the final three goals of the game. Cross posted up at the right post, turned inside, and provided a goal on the team's ensuing possession after Whittier made it a two goal game in the fourth.

Olivia Mackell found space and went nearside top corner to put the Pioneers in double figures. Rushforth capped off the game with a bar-in counterattack goal to complete her hat trick.

Cal State East Bay 17, Occidental 8 – F
Cal State East Bay trailed Occidental (1-17) by a 3-2 score at the end of the first quarter. OXY's Kyla Houck scored two of her team-high three goals in the opening quarter and completed her hat trick shortly thereafter to put the Tigers out front 5-3.

McGee, Rushforth, Dettloff, Cross, and Call each scored over the final 5:18 of the second quarter to put the Pioneers out front 8-5 at the half. Cal State East Bay went on another 5-0 scoring run in the third sparked by goals on three straight possessions over a 56-second stretch to put the game out of reach.

Cal State East Bay converted 3-of-4 power play opportunities and Cross converted a 5-meter penalty shot after drawing the initial penalty herself. Her game-high four scores led a group of nine different Pioneers who contributed to the scoring column.

Occidental finished 1-for-5 on its player advantage opportunities. OXY's HiPoi Lee provided the lone conversion in the third quarter and finished with two goals.

East Bay's Miranda Diehm and Nation combined to make 10 saves in goal for the victory. Nation finished with 23 saves and four assists during Sunday's action.

Cal State East Bay (8-12) will take on Chapman (7-10) at 10 a.m. and Concordia-Irvine (6-14) at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23 at the Allred Aquatics Center. Follow the @CSUEBathletics Twitter account for in-game updates.