#15 SJSU 13, CSUEB 5 -- Box Score
#9 Pacific 21, CSUEB 7 (Exh) -- Box Score

SARATOGA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team opened the 2018 regular season on Saturday morning with a 13-5 loss to No. 15 San Jose State in the first game of SJSU's Lou Tully Memorial tournament, held at West Valley College.

The Pioneers returned to action in the afternoon to take on one of the top teams in the country in No. 9 Pacific, falling 21-7 in an exhibition contest that won't count against their record. 

East Bay got off to a slow start in the morning game against the Division I Spartans, going scoreless in the first quarter of the season as SJSU built a 3-0 lead. It was 6-0 before the Pioneers finally got on the scoreboard with goals by Leilani Vazquez and Brooke Hodgkinson in the final three minutes of the second period, sending the teams to halftime with CSUEB trailing 7-2. 

The Pioneers turned in their best defensive quarter of the day in the third, holding SJSU scoreless for nearly four minutes before the Spartans make it 8-2. East Bay answered as Vazquez converted a 6-on-5 power play for her second goal of the game. But a power play goal by the home team on their final possession of the period put the Pioneers down 9-3.

The Spartans scored the first four goals of the fourth quarter to prevent any thoughts of a late CSUEB comeback. In the game's final minute, Vazquez recorded a hat trick with her third goal of morning. Then freshman Maci Taylor notched her first collegiate goal on East Bay's last possession. 

Sophomore Auriel Bill recorded a pair of assists, while freshman Ivanna Anderson led the team with three steals. Hodgkinson drew a team-high three ejections in the loss. Makenna Nation tallied six saves as the starting goalkeeper.

After a break of around five hours, the Pioneers were back at it against Pacific, which last year won the Gold Coast Conference title and made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA championship tournament.

The Tigers jumped out to a quick lead and scored six unanswered goals in the first quarter. East Bay got on the scoreboard in the first minute of the second period, as Taylor scored her second goal of the day. Bill got into the goal column for the first time this season three minutes later, but five Tiger scores in the second quarter made it 11-2 at halftime. 

Pacific pulled away with nine more goals in the third quarter, and the Pioneers added just one on Bill's second score of the afternoon. CSUEB tacked on four goals in the fourth quarter, as Taylor found the back of the cage again and Hodgkinson, Vazquez, and Beverly Ayers all scored in the first five minutes of the period.

East Bay returns to the pool next week for the team's first Division II matchup of the season. They travel down Highway 99 for a 1:00 p.m. game against conference foe Fresno Pacific on Saturday, Jan. 27.