CSUN Drops Big West Opener, Falls Twice on Busy Saturday

Saturday, March 10

Irvine, CA

12:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

#7 UC Irvine

CSUN Drops Big West Opener, Falls Twice on Busy Saturday

3/10/2018 9:02:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---No. 19 CSUN Water Polo (11-11, 0-1 BWC) dropped two matches on a busy Saturday afternoon. The Matadors opened up Big West Conference play with a 13-3 loss at No. 7 UC Irvine before falling to No. 11 UC San Diego 8-3 at San Diego State's Aztec Invitational. Six Matadors hit the back of the net on the day including Katelyn Fairchild who notched her 30th goal of the season. Niki Van Vugt racked up 12 saves in six quarters of action.

UC Irvine Recap:

The Anteaters led from start-to-finish in the Matadors' conference opener. Allie Loomis opened up the scoring in the second minute of play, and Megan Falcon added to the lead two minutes later. Shannon Hovanesian trimmed the lead in half at the 4:13 mark but the Anteaters followed with three-straight goals. Madeleine Sanchez collected her 28th goal of the season to bring the Matadors within 5-2 on a five-meter penalty shot with 1:03 on the clock.

Natalie Seidemann scored UC Irvine's third power play goal early in the second quarter. The period would belong to UCI as the home team outscored the Matadors 3-0 to open up an 8-2 lead. Seidemann hit the back of the net again at the 5:25 mark.

Yuri Cowie recorded her third goal of the season in the thid period but the Anteaters scored three more times to lead 11-3. In the fourth period, Julie Swieca and Avalon Gook picked up their second tallies of the afternoon to push the lead to double digits.

Van Vugt started the match and recorded three saves while Emma Pfister played the second half and notched three saves of her own. Sanchez and Fairchild also racked up two steals apiece in the match.

CSUN - 2-0-1-0 = 3
UCI - 5-3-3-2 = 13

CSUN goal scorers: Sanchez (28), Hovanesian (20), Cowie (3)
UCI goal scorers: Swieca 2, Seidemann 2, Gook 2, Ca. Toledo, Loomis, Co. Toledo, Eldridge, Rack, Falcon, Prentice

CSUN saves: Van Vugt 3 (105), Pfister 3 (72)
UCI saves: Phreaner 4, Schulte 3, Jones

UC San Diego Recap:

After falling to the Anteaters, the Matadors traveled over 80 miles to San Diego State to compete in the Aztec Invitational. The Tritons got off to a quick start against the Matadors in the first period, outscoring CSUN 3-0. The Matadors would get on the scoreboard in the second period but UCSD countered with three more goals to lead 6-1 at the half.

CSUN outscored the Tritons 2-1 in the third period but would go scoreless in the fourth quarter to fall 8-3.

Fairchild struck the netting against the Tritons while Madasonne Butler and Jennalyn Barthels also scored in the match. Sanchez added three more steals to her total on the day to go with two assists. Van Vugt played the full 32 minutes and had nine saves to bring her season total to 114.

CSUN - 0-1-2-0 = 3
UCSD - 3-3-1-1 = 8

CSUN goal scorers: Fairchild (30), Butler (10), Barthels (8)
UCSD goal scorers: N/A

CSUN saves: Van Vugt 9 (114)
UCSD saves: N/A

The Matadors continue the Aztec Invitational Sunday against No. 20 Harvard at 10 a.m. and Bucknell at 12:30 p.m.