Box Score (PDF)

SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team earned a crucial conference victory on the road over rival Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday afternoon, winning the regular season finale by a score of 12-9.

The win gives the Pioneers a season sweep of the Otters, but this one was particularly important because it served as the designated Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) contest between the two teams. CSUEB finishes the regular season with a 13-14 overall record and an even 2-2 mark in conference games, which should leave them well-positioned to earn a top-3 seed to next week's WWPA Championships. 

The victory also secured two "Battle of the Bays" points in the yearlong multi-sport competition between CSUEB and CSUMB, giving the Pioneers a narrow 23-21 lead with two sports remaining. 

The Pioneers came out of the gate with a flurry Friday and set the tone early, netting four goals in the first five minutes of play as Cheyenne Pena scored twice and Auriel Bill and Payton Bosque both found the back of the cage once to put the visitors ahead 4-0. 

East Bay only added two goals in the second period -- one for Maeve Flynn and a second for Bosque -- but Daniela Passoni and the Pioneers defense was dominant in the first half. They held the Otters to just one goal in each of the first two quarters, giving East Bay a 6-2 halftime lead.

Monterey Bay rallied back in the second half, tallying four straight scores to tie the game. Adrien Van Dyke netted her first two goals of the game to keep the Pioneers ahead by one, but the team appeared to be headed for a dramatic final quarter.

Fortunately, the Pioneers were able to pull away in the fourth enough to avoid a tense finish. Bosque opened the scoring in the period by notching a hat trick with her third goal. The next time down the tank, Ivanna Anderson got in the scoresheet with her first goal of the day. Two minutes later, seniors Brooke Hodgkinson and Cheyenne Brady scored on back-to-back possessions to put the Pioneers ahead 12-7

Bill led all players with four assists in the win, while Maci Taylor tallied three.

The Pioneers will next head to Geneva, Ohio to vie for their first WWPA title.