Box Score (PDF)

GENEVA, Ohio -- In one of the most exciting games of the tournament, the Cal State East Bay water polo team defeated Gannon by a final score of 12-9 Sunday morning to finish in third place at 2019 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championships. 

The No. 3 seed Pioneers fell behind early against the No. 4 seed Knights, but rallied back to close the year out with a victory as Adrien Van Dyke matched a season high with six goals. 

It started about as poorly as it could have, with Gannon scoring four goals in less than five minutes. But the Pioneers were able to re-focus, put Saturday's semifinal loss behind them, and chip away at their deficit. And once East Bay's offense got going, they started hanging goals on the scoreboard in rapid succession.

Van Dyke converted a power play for the team's first goal, then two-time Player of the Year Auriel Bill found the back of the cage on the next possession to make it 4-2 after one quarter. After Gannon scored the first goal of the second, senior Brittany Smith answered with a pair of goals two minutes apart, the second one coming after a Gannon exclusion. A minute after that, Van Dyke netted her second of the day to tie the score 5-5. 
Gannon briefly regained the lead with 2:28 left before halftime, but Van Dyke secured her hat trick and scored two more goals within the last minute of the half to put the Pioneers back ahead 7-6.

The back-and-forth action continued in the third period, as Gannon tied it, then Bill scored her second of the morning to re-take the lead, then Gannon tied it again, then Maeve Flynn got in the scoresheet to go back ahead. Heading into the final quarter, the Pioneers clung to a 9-8 lead.

They were able to pull away in the fourth thanks to stellar defense, as goalkeepers Daniela Passoni and Makenna Nation limited the Knights to just one goal in the final period. Meanwhile, Van Dyke scored two more goals as the Pioneers snatched momentum, then Flynn applied the dagger with a powerplay goal to put East Bay up 12-8 with 2:43 left.

After Sunday's action, the conference announced its All-Tournament Team. Ivanna Anderson and Passoni were both named to the First Team, which Van Dyke picked up a Second Team selection.

This marks the sixth straight year this Pioneers have notched a top-three finish at WWPA Championships. It's the second time they've appeared in the third place game after falling in the semifinals, and they've been victorious both times. CSUEB wraps up the season with a final record of 15-15 to finish at least .500 for the 11th time in the last 12 years despite playing approximately one-third of its schedule against nationally-ranked opponents.