Box Score (PDF)

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team cruised to victory on Saturday in the semifinal round of the 2018 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championships, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay by a final score of 12-2.

The Pioneers advance to Sunday's championship game where they will meet the No. 12 team in the nation, top-seeded five-time defending champion UC San Diego. This marks the fourth time in the last five years the Pioneers have reached the WWPA title game, and this will be the program's fourth chance to pull off an upset of the Tritons.

With the win on Saturday, the Pioneers complete the season sweep of the Otters to finish 3-0 against their rivals. CSUEB's two goals allowed is the second-lowest total scored against them this season, bested only by an 18-1 victory over Chapman.

While the final score against CSUMB wasn't quite that one-sided, the win was never in doubt as the Pioneers nearly pulled off a shutout. Junior Makenna Nation was fantastic in the cage, giving up zero goals in each of the first three quarters as East Bay built a big lead. She racked up nine saves and a team-high five steals, improving her record this season to 16-6 as CSUEB's starting goalie.

On the other side of the tank, freshman Ivanna Anderson had the best performance of her young career, tallying six goals and two assists. She netted the first goal of the game less than two minutes in. Fellow rookie Adrien Van Dyke made it 2-0 on the next possession, and then Anderson scored again three minutes later. Brittany Smith got in on the fun before the end of the period, just beating the first quarter buzzer with a goal to make it 4-0.

Anderson secure a hat trick less than a minute into the second quarter, then Brooke Hodgkinson and Leilani Vazquez got into the scoresheet as well before halftime to give the Pioneers a 7-0 advantage.

East Bay made it a blowout in the third period, as Anderson exploded for three more goals within the span of a minute and a half. Smith then scored again before the end of the quarter to put CSUEB up 11-0. 

Marisa Lovos finally put the Otters on the board with 5:32 left in the game, but that and a garbage-time goal in the final minute was all CSUMB could manage against East Bay's stout defense. Gina Sorensen scored the 12th and final goal of the afternoon for the Pioneers, her first in postseason play. 

CSUEB was defeated 17-7 when the team last played UC San Diego back on February 9 at Canyonview Aquatic Center. The Tritons have an extremely talented squad, but the Pioneers have come a long way since early February. Since returning from that San Diego road trip, East Bay has a record of 15-3. They ride a seven-game winning streak into Sunday's title game, and if they can make it eight, the Pioneers will bring the school's first WWPA championship with them back to Hayward.