Box Score (PDF)

FRESNO, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's water polo team picked up its first victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, topping Fresno Pacific on the road at Sunnyside Aquatic Center by a final score of 14-7.

it was a total team effort for the Pioneers (1-1), who out-scored the Sunbirds (0-4) in all four quarters. CSUEB has now won 16 straight match-ups with FPU dating back 11 years.

Junior Makenna Nation earned the win in the cage, recording seven saves to anchor a strong defensive effort by East Bay. She allowed just one goal in the first quarter as the Pioneers grabbed the lead, and she held the Sunbirds to just three scores in the opening half. Erika McFeggan took over for the fourth and up just one goal in the final period, preventing any sort of FPU comeback.

After being held scoreless in CSUEB's regular season opener last week against No. 15 San Jose State, sophomore Auriel Bill turned in a dominant effort on Saturday with four goals and four assists, and three steals. The Sunbirds had no answer for Bill, who led East Bay in goals and assists last season en route to First Team All-WWPA honors.

The contest opened with four minutes of scoreless water polo before the Sunbirds finally converted on a power play to grab a 1-0 lead. But the Pioneers proceeded to score on back-to-back possessions as Bill assisted on goals by Brittany Smith and Adrien Van Dyke to put East Bay ahead 2-1, a lead they would never relinquish. Brooke Hodgkinson made it 3-1 a minute later, and then Bill closed out the quarter with her first goal of the afternoon. 

Ivanna Anderson found the back of the cage for CSUEB's fifth straight goal with 5:37 remaining in the second period. The teams traded scores over the final five minutes of the quarter, as Bill and Smith each netted their second goals of the game, and the Pioneers went into halftime ahead 7-3. 

Bill picked up her fourth assist as Gabriella Garcia converted a 6-on-5 situation on East Bay's first possession of the second half. After the Sunbirds answered with a pair of goals, the Pioneer offense exploded over the final four minutes of the third quarter. Cheyenne Pena got in on the fun, finishing Bill's fourth assist of the game. Bill then scored twice more, and Anderson picked up her second goal of the day, sending CSUEB into the fourth quarter with a comfortable 12-6 advantage. 

Maci Taylor got into the scoresheet with a goal to open the final period, the eighth Pioneer to score in the game. Anderson notched her first career hat trick in the game's final seconds, netting East Bay's 14th score to put a bow on the road victory.

The Pioneers are back in action a week from today when they return to Hayward to host Division I Santa Clara in their 2018 home opener. The ball is set to drop at 12:00 p.m. Feb. 3 from Pioneer Pool.