Box Score (PDF)

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay water polo team was defeated by No. 17 ranked UC San Diego Saturday afternoon in Pioneer Pool by a final score of 12-4. 

The six-time defending conference champion Tritons improve to 15-12 with a 2-0 mark in designated Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) games. Meanwhile, the loss drops the Pioneers to 11-13 with an 0-2 record in conference play.

CSUEB battled hard early in the game and kept the score low in the first quarter. The Tritons scored the first two goals of the contest, but the Pioneers were able to hold them down for the final four minutes of the opening period. Meanwhile, Ivanna Anderson beat the UCSD keeper from three meters for a goal to make it 2-1 after one quarter.

It looked as though the Pioneers might be in for another dramatic match, but the Tritons found their rhythm offensively and broke the game open in the second quarter. They scored five unanswered goals and held East Bay off the scoreboard in the period to take a 7-1 lead at halftime. 

UCSD quickly extended their advantage to 8-1 in the first minute of the third, and the game was never really in doubt the rest of the way. 

Auriel Bill made a nice play to steal the ball and score CSUEB's second goal just before the end of the third, but the Tritons notched three goals in the period and led 10-2 heading into the fourth.

Maeve Flynn got in the scoresheet with a goal for the Pioneers with 1:25 left, and then Briana Ruiz scored on East Bay's final possession of the game. Goalkeeper Daniella Passoni played the first three quarters in the cage and tallied nine saves. 

Next up, the Pioneers return to Pioneer Pool Friday, Apr. 12 to celebrate "Senior Day" prior to their game against Cal State Northridge. Then they hit the road for their final two regular season games and their designated WWPA matches against Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay.