Box Score (PDF)

SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team pulled off an improbable comeback on Friday afternoon to defeat Cal State Monterey Bay 11-10 in the first designated Western Water Polo Association (WPAA) contest of the season.

The Pioneers trailed the Otters 6-2 at halftime and 9-6 through three quarters, but they rattled off five goals in five minutes to rally all the way back in the fourth quarter. Freshman Auriel Bill led the squad with four goals and scored the game-winner with 29 seconds left to play.

CSUEB improves to 10-10 for the season, snapping a five-game losing streak. The Otters fall to 6-8 overall and have now dropped four straight meetings with the Pioneers dating back to 2015. 

Monterey jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in their home pool as the Pioneers struggled to get anything going offensively in the first half. Finally Rocio Fesembeck got East Bay on the scoreboard off an assist from Olivia Mackell with 17 seconds left in the opening quarter. 

Katelyn Clark assisted Bill for her first goal of the afternoon with 4:53 left in the second period, but that was all the Pioneers could manage before halftime. Meanwhile CSUMB tacked on two more scores to make it a four-goal lead.

Head coach Lisa Cooper's halftime adjustments were effective, as the Pioneers found the back of the cage nine times in the final two quarters. Leilani Vazquez converted a 6-on-5 opportunity for the first goal of the third, and then Bill netted her second with 4:15 remaining to cut the deficit to two. After an Otter goal, CSUMB's Angela Steele was called for a 5-meter penalty against Fesembeck. Bill's penalty shot was successful, and then Alicia Tully scored off Mackell's second assist on the very next possession. That made the score 7-6, but the Otters scored twice in the final minute of the period to stretch their lead back out to 9-6 heading into the fourth.

After two and a half minutes of the final quarter, East Bay still trailed by three. Then Brandi Carroll assisted Tully on her second goal with 5:29 left to make it 9-7. A minute later, the Pioneers took advantage of an Otter ejection as Fesembeck scored off an assist from Nicole Williams. Two possessions later, Fesembeck found the back of the net again to tie the game (and secure a hat trick). 

The Pioneers got another power play opportunity at 2:20 and Cooper called a timeout to set up the offense. The play was successful, as Vazquez scored to give East Bay its first lead of the game at 2:06. The visitors seemed to have grabbed the momentum, but then Williams was called for a 5-meter penalty with 1:43 left, and the Otters converted the penalty shot to tie the game 10-10.

East Bay failed to score on its next possession, but then Tully stole the ball and found Bill for her fourth goal of the day with 29 seconds left. Bill was called for an ejection 10 seconds later, giving CSUMB a chance to tie the game on the final possession, but the Pioneers blocked Marisa Lovos's shot and held on for the dramatic victory.

Nikki Vaughan tallied six saves for the Pioneers in the cage. She was outstanding when the team needed her most, holding the Otters to just one goal in the fourth quarter as CSUEB completed the comeback. 

The Pioneers are back in the pool and back at home on Monday, as they start Spring quarter with another WWPA game. East Bay hosts #19 UC San Diego at 2 p.m. in Pioneer Pool in a rematch of the last three WWPA championship games.