Box Score (PDF)

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team was defeated by five-time defending Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) champion and No. 15 ranked UC San Diego by a final score of 17-7 on Friday evening at Canyonview Aquatic Center.

The Pioneers fell behind quickly against their conference rival and had a hard time slowing down the potent Triton offense, as their record drops to 2-2 this season. 

Auriel Bill converted a 6-on-5 advantage midway through the first quarter for CSUEB's lone goal of the period, but it was all UCSD otherwise in the opening minutes as the home team jumped out to a 6-1 lead.

Brittany Smith, Brook Hodgkinson, and Adrien Van Dyke all got in the scoring column with power play goals in the second quarter. And overall, the Pioneers scored on five of their eight opportunities following UCSD exclusions. But the Tritons tacked on five more goals in the second, taking a comfortable 11-4 lead into halftime. 

UCSD continued to extend its lead after the break despite Leilani Vazquez finding the back of the cage midway through the third period, and Van Dyke notching her second goal on CSUEB's only even-strength score of the day.

East Bay's defense was solid over the final 10 minutes of game time, but it wasn't enough to make a significant dent in their deficit. Maci Taylor closed out the evening by converting a 6-on-5 advantage for the final goal of the contest.

Van Dyke was the Pioneer to tally multiple goals in the loss, while Bill led the team with two assists and two steals despite picking up her third exclusion in the final period. 

Reigning WWPA Player of the Week Makenna Nation had two saves over the first two quarters. Senior Erika McFeggan took over in the cage for the second half and totaled three saves and two steals. 

The Pioneers will play four more games in La Jolla before returning north as they get set to compete in the annual Triton Invitational over the weekend. The seeded tournament pits East Bay against No. 6 Arizona State in the first round Saturday morning at 10:40 a.m.