Matadors Earn a Split on Day One of Triton Invitational

Saturday, February 11

La Jolla, CA

12:30 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

#9 UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: Paul Trafecanty

Matadors Earn a Split on Day One of Triton Invitational

2/11/2017 5:16:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

No. 22 CSUN Water Polo split two at day one of the UC San Diego Triton Invitational in La Jolla, CA. The Matadors fell to No. 9 UC Santa Barbara in the early afternoon game, 11-6, but closed the day with a 12-6 win over No. 23 Marist. Junior Madeleine Sanchez had a big afternoon, scoring a combined seven goals and compiling six steals. A number of Matadors produced strong offensive performances in the two matches as the junior tandem of Amy Yule and Shannon Hovanesian scored three goals apiece while Katelyn Fairchild, McKenzie Pollei, Miranda Coleman, and Madasonne Butler all hit the net as well. In the cage, junior Niki Van Vugt racked up 12 saves in the two contests and Nathalie Brewster chipped in with four saves in eight minutes of action.

In the opening game, the Matadors battled No. 9 UC Santa Barbara step-for-step for most of the contest but the Gauchos pulled away late with a strong fourth quarter. Sanchez led the way for CSUN in the match, scoring three times to go along with two steals. Van Vugt played the entire match and posted nine saves.

In a low scoring first quarter, UCSB raced out in front 2-0 after goals from Sarah Snyder and Natalie Selin but the Matadors cut the lead in half with 1:19 on the clock on a score from Yule.

The Matadors surrendered a goal early on in the second quarter but took advantage of a costly UCSB foul. Sanchez nailed the penalty shot at the 5:10 mark, making it a 3-2 game. The Matadors would gain a pair of power play possessions in the quarter but UCSB remained in front late into the period. Taylor Shore drove in a shot past the CSUN defense with under a minute to play to give the Gauchos a 4-2 lead at halftime.

For the third-straight period, the Gauchos scored first as Synder hit the net on a power play opportunity in the first minute. Not going quietly, the Matadors battled back to pull within 5-4 following scores from Sanchez and Butler. The Gauchos, however, closed the period in strong fashion scoring two including a goal on a power play late to take a 7-4 lead after 24 minutes.

After neither team connected in the early stages of the fourth, Sanchez netted her third goal at the 5:53 mark to bring CSUN to within two goals. Unable to put away the Matadors for most of the match, the Gauchos took control in the final minutes of the game. Shore scored twice more and both Snyder and Samantha Rosenberg hit insurance goals as UCSB came away with the five-goal victory.

CSUN bounced back with a wire-to-wire victory over Marist behind Sanchez's four goals. Both Yule and Faichild had two goals apiece while Van Vugt made three saves in three quarters of action. The Matadors never trailed in the game and earned their first victory over a nationally ranked team this season.

Hovanesian got the Matadors on the scoreboard first with a goal in the first quarter and Sanchez later added to the lead. CSUN held Marist without a goal for the entire eight-minute session including withstanding a power play possession.

Following a defensive struggle in the opening period, the Matadors picked up their offensive play, scoring six times in the second. Coleman struck first in the opening minute followed by Sanchez who scored three-straight times. Fairchild and Pollei each found the back of the net late in the period as CSUN went into halftime ahead 8-2.

The two teams traded goals in the third and fourth quarters with CSUN never leading by less than five goals. Yule scored at the 4:24 mark of the third period while Fairchild scored her second goal just before the buzzer. With Brewster in front of the cage in the fourth, CSUN collected goals from Yule and Hovanesian to cruise to the 12-6 victory.

In the win, four of the Matadors' 12 goals in the game came as a result of penalties with three goals scored by Sanchez. Nine different Matadors combined to total 16 steals for the match.

CSUN will compete twice more at the Triton Invitational on Sunday beginning with a meeting against No. 16 Hartwick at 10:40 a.m. The winner of the match will take on the winner of Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount at 5:20 p.m. while the losers of the two matches will square off at 4 p.m.

CSUN - 1-1-2-2 = 6
UCSB - 2-2-3-4 = 11

CSUN scorers: Sanchez 3 (19), Yule (9), Hovanesian (8), Butler (3)
UCSB scorers: Shore 5, S. Synder 3, Thomas, Rosenberg, Selin

CSUN saves: Van Vugt 9 (78)
UCSB saves: K. Snyder 5
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Marist - 0-2-2-2 = 6
CSUN - 2-6-2-2 = 12

Marist scorers: Doerfler, Amorosa, McQuade, Singer, Cantoni, McGlothlin
CSUN scorers: Sanchez 4 (23), Fairchild 2 (25), Yule 2 (11), Hovanesian 2 (10), Coleman (7), Pollei (5)

Marist saves: N/A
CSUN saves: Brewster 4 (23), Van Vugt 3 (81)