HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay played its final regular season match of 2023 on Saturday at Pioneer Pool. The Pioneers used a strong second and fourth quarter to defeat the Fresno Pacific, 16-9 on Senior Day.
 

MATCH SUMMARY

 
In the opening quarter, both teams traded goals back and forth for the first seven minutes of game time. The Pioneers took a 3-2 lead with one second left on a Daniela Passoni strike.
 
CSUEB outscored the Sunbirds, 5-2 in the second quarter. Pioneers' goals included two from Bailey Barlow, and one each from Elise Whitworth, Hannah Peercy and Rachel Heredia. The Pioneers led 8-4 at halftime. 
 
Barlow scored two goals in the third quarter and Luna Sarmiento added one, but FPU gained ground by outscoring the Pioneers, 4-3 in the quarter. 
 
Pioneers scored five of the six goals to pull away in fourth quarter with two coming from Sarmiento and one apiece from Jordan Jarandson, Ingrid Rubio Miro and Peercy. 

Prior to the match, Peercy was honored for the Pioneers' Senior Day ceremony as she played in her final regular season match for Cal State East Bay. 
 

NOTABLE STATS

• Barlow and Sarmiento netted four goals each on Saturday. Sarmiento had two assists. 
• Peercy scored two goals in her final regular season game with Cal State East Bay. 
• Defensively, Passoni had four steals and 13 saves. 
• The regular season finished with Sarmiento as the Pioneers' top goal scorer with 65 goals. She also led the team in assists (20) and drawn exclusions (15). 
• Cal State East Bay outshot Fresno Pacific 38-30 and won three of the four opening sprints.
• The Pioneers had the most steals in a match this season on Saturday with 12. 

POSTGAME QUOTE

Cal State East Bay head coach Lisa Cooper following Saturday's regular season finale:
"This was a great team win today. We were communicating both offensively and defensively and our execution of plays was amazing. I am so proud of my team and it was great momentum heading into [WWPA Championships] this week.

"It was great that Hannah [Peercy] scored the last goal of the game. In her last game in Pioneer Pool."
 

FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

Cal State East Bay: 14-14, 4-2 WWPA
Fresno Pacific: 12-15, 2-4 WWPA
 

UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY

 
The Pioneers will travel to O'Fallon, Illinois for the 2023 WWPA Championship hosted by McKendree University. Cal State East Bay takes on Mercyhurst University in the first round of the tournament at McKendree Metro Rec Plex. Opening sprint is set for 10:45 a.m. Central Time (8:45 am Pacific) on Friday.