Score sheet (PDF)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The No. 25 ranked Cal State East Bay water polo team closed out its weekend in Southern California with an 11-6 victory Sunday morning over the University of Toronto at Samuelson Aquatic Center.

The Pioneers return home from Cal Lutheran's annual Tina Finali Invitational with a 3-1 record after outscoring their last two opponents by a combined score of 29-11. Closing out their first week of the season as the No. 25 team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association coaches poll, East Bay now has an overall record of 7-6.

CSUEB jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in this game and never looked back, as the defense limited Toronto just three goals in each half.

Leilani Vazquez opened the scoring in the game's first minute, and Auriel Bill and Adrien Van Dyke quickly followed to make it a three-goal lead midway through the first period. 

East Bay led 4-1 after one quarter, and then after the teams traded goals to open the second, the Varsity Blues scored again with 1:58 left before halftime to get within two.

However, that was as close as they would get as Bill found the back of the cage for the second time on the very next possession, putting the Pioneers up 6-3 at intermission. 

Briana Ruiz and Brittany Smith got in the score sheet in the third quarter, and Cheyenne Brady netted her second goal of the game to open the fourth. Maci Taylor scored for the Pioneers their next time down the pool, and then Bill secured her third hat trick of the tournament with her third goal midway through the period to stretch CSUEB's lead out to 11-4.

Toronto scored twice in the final minutes after the game was well in hand, as goalkpeeper Makenna Nation notcher her second victory of the weekend. 

Bill finished the four-game tournament with 10 goals to lead the Pioneers.

Cal State East Bay now has a week off before hosting Azusa Pacific and conference rival Cal State Monterey Bay for a tripleheader on Saturday, Mar. 10 at Pioneer Pool.