Matadors Finish 12th at Triton Invitational

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

The No. 22 ranked CSUN Water Polo team (5-9) finished 12th at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, CA after a pair of tough losses. The Matadors fell to No. 16 Hartwick, 8-7, to start the day and dropped a 7-4 decision to No. 20 Loyola Marymount in the afternoon match. For the second-straight day, junior Madeleine Sanchez led the team in scoring with four goals while Emily Fuller, Shannon Hovanesian and Madasonne Butler all had two apiece. Junior Niki Van Vugt posted 16 saves over five quarters of action in the cage.

In the morning match, the Matadors were able to stay with Hartwick for the entire match but were unable to overcome a fourth quarter deficit in the final seconds.

Hartwick jumped out in front first with back-to-back goals from Charlotte Cottle and Tori Wilson. CSUN quickly cut the lead in half on a goal from Sanchez, and Emily Fuller later squared the game at 2-2 at the 3:03 mark of the first quarter.

Neither side was able to find the net for nearly four minutes until Hartwick broke the scoreless string with a goal from Nikolina Mihajlovik early on in the second period. The Hawks built a two-goal lead on two occasions but the Matadors remained close as Hovanesian and Butler each scored to trim the LMU advantage to 5-4 at the break.

The Matadors earned four power play opportunities in the third quarter but were unable hit the equalizer. With the score still 5-4, Zsofia Polak tallied the only goal of the quarter with 2:11 on the clock. The Hawks extended their advantage to 7-4 in the fourth quarter but the Matadors rallied again with scores from Butler and Hovanesian.

With the Matadors trailing 7-6, Sanchez was forced to the sidelines after a foul, giving Hartwick an opportunity to go back in front by two on a power play. Undeterred, CSUN battled back again with a goal from Sanchez at the 1:57 mark. With the clock running out, the Matadors would have chances at the net including a power play with less than a minute to play but the Hawks would hold on for the 8-7 win.

Sanchez registered five steals in the match while Katelyn Fairchild, Yule and Hovanesian each had two. Along with her two goals, Hovanesian also had three assists. Van Vugt's 11 saves against Hartwick tied a season high she set against UC Davis on Jan. 29.

Looking to bounce back, the Matadors led Loyola Marymount for most of the first half but the Lions recovered with a strong second half to pull off the 7-4 victory.

Fuller kicked off the scoring midway through the first period and Fairchild added to the lead with a goal at the 3:17 mark of the period. LMU cut the Matador lead in half late in the period on a score from Hana Vilanova.

CSUN went in front 3-1 on a goal from Sanchez early on in the second but the Matadors would go cold for the remainder of the half. LMU answered back with goals from Vilanova and Sage Pfeiffer to tie the game at 3-3 heading into halftime.

Contiuining its run, LMU took its first lead on a goal from Morgan Molloy in the opening minute of the second half. Sanchez finally ended the Matador scoring drought to even the game once again at the 5:13 mark of the third quarter. The score remained tied until a goal from Pfeiffer in the final minute of the third period, giving LMU a 5-4 edge after 24 minutes.

The Matadors earned a power play possession early on in the final period but came up empty. Molloy gave the Lions a 6-4 lead at the 5:55 mark of the quarter, and she later netted an insurance goal to push the lead to three. Unable to get going offensively, CSUN was held without a goal in the fourth period.

Freshman Nathalie Brewster played the final three quarters against Loyola Marymount, saving three shots. Fairchild led the Matadors with two steals and two assists while Sanchez had two field blocks and a steal.

CSUN returns to action on Thursday (Feb. 16) for a pair of matches at Redlands. The Matadors take on Cal Baptist at 2 p.m. and will close out the day with a 4 p.m. match against the host Bulldogs.

CSUN: 2-2-0-3 = 7
Hartwick: 2-3-1-2 = 8

CSUN scorers: Sanchez 2 (25), Hovanesian 2 (12), Butler 2 (5), Fuller (3)
Hartwick scorers: Mihajlovik 2, Polak 2, Brennan, Wilson, Cottle, Edwards

CSUN saves: Van Vugt 11 (92)
Hartwick saves: N/A

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CSUN: 2-1-1-0 = 4
LMU: 1-2-2-2 = 7

CSUN scorers: Sanchez 2 (27), Fairchild (26), Fuller (4)
LMU scorers: Molloy 3, Pfeiffer 2, Vilanova 2

CSUN saves: Van Vugt 5 (97), Brewster 3 (26)
LMU saves: N/A

Matadors Finish 12th at Triton Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Nathalie Brewster

Madasonne Butler

Katelyn Fairchild

Emily Fuller

Shannon Hovanesian

Madeleine Sanchez

Niki Van Vugt