Matadors Fall at UCSB, 6-4, to Wrap up Big West Play

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

No. 24 CSUN Water Polo (10-19, 0-5 BWC) dropped its final Big West Conference match of the regular season on Saturday afternoon as the No. 9 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (15-11, 3-1 BWC) held on for a 6-4 win at Campus Pool. Madeleine Sanchez scored two goals in the match to give her 68 tallies on the season. CSUN battled UCSB in a tightly contested matchup but the Gauchos would pull away late in the second half to earn the win.

The two sides were unable to get much going offensively in the early going of the first period. The teams went scoreless over the first three minutes of play until CSUN struck first to go in front. Capitalizing on a UCSB foul resulting in a penalty shot, Sanchez hit the net to give her team the lead. The Gauchos answered back with a goal from Taylor Shore less than a minute later and the game remained tied at 1-1 for nearly the remainder of the quarter. Sanchez though put the Matadors back in front in the final minute, giving her 17 games this season in which she has scored multiple goals in a match.

In the early stages of the second quarter, UCSB evened the contest at 2-2 on a goal from Bryn Hudson following a CSUN ejection. Neither side was able to hit the go-ahead score over the next four minutes despite both teams gaining 6-on-5 advantages over that span. CSUN faced a 6-on-5 power play five times in the period but strong defense would not allow a goal to come in during those possessions.

Shore broke up the tie with 3:40 on the clock but CSUN answered back on a score from Miranda Coleman less than a minute later. Both teams were unable to take the lead over the final 3:08 as the game entered halftime tied.

The third period would see a defensive struggle with only one goal recorded. In the opening minute, Hudson registered her second of the day to put UCSB ahead 4-3. The Matadors appeared as though they would even the game as Sanchez had a penalty shot opportunity with 1:51 left but her shot would be stopped by goalkeeper Mackenzie Brokaw.

For the third consecutive period, the Gauchos struck first in the opening minute as UCSB scored on a goal from Samantha Murphy following a Matador exclusion. Trailing by two, CSUN was unable to make up the deficit down the stretch. Miranda Schrader gave UCSB its biggest lead of the day at 6-3 with 3:25 left before McKenzie Pollei scored CSUN's first goal of the half less than two minutes later. Playing with the lead, the Gauchos worked the clock in their favor in the waning moments to post the victory.

Sanchez hit her team-leading 9th and 10th goals in Big West play on Saturday while Pollei picked up her 5th with her tally in the fourth period.

The Matadors conclude their regular season schedule next Saturday with a non-conference match at Loyola Marymount before returning back to UC Santa Barbara to begin the Big West Conference Tournament on April 29.

CSUN: 2-1-0-1 = 4
UCSB: 1-2-1-2 = 6

CSUN Goal Scorers: Sanchez 2, Coleman, Pollei
UCSB Goal Scorers: Shore 2, Hudson 2, Schrader, Murphy

Matadors Fall at UCSB, 6-4, to Wrap up Big West Play

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Players Mentioned

Miranda Coleman

McKenzie Pollei

Madeleine Sanchez