Box Score

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team was edged out by visiting Sonoma State Friday on a gorgeous afternoon at Pioneer Pool by a final score of 11-10. 

The Pioneers drop to 10-12 for the season with the loss, while the Seawolves improve to 7-16. It evens the season series between the two Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) rivals at one win apiece, with the rubber match coming Saturday, Apr. 15 in Rohnert Park.

As tends to be the case when CSUEB and SSU play, today was an extremely tight back-and-forth contest. Both squads held the lead multiple times during the game, and never by more than two goals. 

Taylor Brown started the scoring in the opening period for the Seawolves with a goal on their first possession. The Pioneers answered back with goals by Nicole Williams at 6:31 and Olivia Mackell at 4:02, but Sonoma quickly drew an exclusion and converted the power play. SSU added another goal with 45 seconds left to snag a 3-2 lead after one quarter.

The teams played to a 3-3 draw in the second. Gabriella Garcia found the back of the cage at 5:22, and then the Pioneers notched two goals within the span of a minute as Alicia Tully and Auriel Bill both scored to give CSUEB a one-goal lead. However, Sonoma's Carleigh Robinson flipped the momentum right before halftime, tallying two goals in the final minute to put the Seawolves up 6-5 at the break.

East Bay tied the game in short order coming out of halftime, as Bill assisted Brandi Carroll. Two minutes later, Mackell scored for the second time to give the home team the lead back. The score remained 7-6 for nearly five minutes before Sonoma finally tied the game on Nicole Groat's second goal. But then in the final minute, Katelyn Clark assisted Carroll and Cheyenne Brady on back-to-back possessions and the Pioneers went back on top 9-7 heading into the final period. 

The squads traded goals early in the fourth, as Carroll notched a hat trick with her third score of the second half. Unfortunately, the final five minutes were all Seawolves. The visitors scored two quick goals -- one on a five-meter penalty -- to tie the score 10-10, and it stayed that way until the final minute. After both teams missed chances to grab the lead, Robinson fired a deep shot at the end of the shot clock for the go-ahead Seawolf goal with 55 seconds left. That held as the game-winner when East Bay failed to score on its final possession.

Sophomore Makenna Nation played the whole game in the cage for CSUEB, racking up two steals and 10 saves, including several impressive blocks from close range. 

The Pioneers have just two regular season contests remaining on their schedule before the WWPA Championships. Next Saturday, Apr. 8 is Senior Day at Pioneer Pool, as CSUEB hosts Cal State Monterey Bay in their final home game at 1 p.m. The following Saturday, the Pioneers travel to Sonoma State for the designated WWPA game against the Seawolves, which will be crucial in determining the tournament seeding.