No. 20 CSUN Water Polo Splits at Aztec Invitational

SAN DIEGO, Calif.---No. 20 CSUN Water Polo continued the 2019 season by splitting the first pair of matches at the 2019 Aztec Invitational, hosted by San Diego State, on Saturday. The Matadors fell behind early to No. 14 UC San Diego and could not catch up, as they would go on to drop the match, 11-4. However, CSUN would rebound with a victory over Fresno Pacific 12-4 to end the day.

Game One Recap
The Matadors were led in the first match offensively by Tori Wilson and Madasonne Butler who each tallied two goals in the match against UC San Diego. Jennalyn Barthels tallied two assists and Kylee Jansen led the team in earned ejections with four.

Butler kicked off the game's scoring with an early goal to put the Matadors on top 1-0 in the game's first couple minutes. Grace Pevehouse netted a penalty shot twenty seconds later to even the scoring. Taylor Onstott added a goal as well to put the Tritons on top 2-1. The Matadors gave up five goals in the quarter before Wilson added her first of the game, as it was 5-2 after one.

In the second quarter, the Matadors were shut out by great defense from the 14th-ranked team in the nation. The CSUN defense only gave up two, but the score was 7-2 at the end of one half.

After allowing a goal to Shelby Stenter to begin the third, Wilson notched her second goal of the night to make it 8-3. CSUN allowed three more goals in the frame to put the Tritons on top 11-3 after three quarters.

Each team hit the net once in the period including a tally from Butler as the Tritons posted the 11-4 win.

CSUN - 2-0-1-1 = 5
UCSD - 5-2-3-1 = 11

CSUN goal scorers: Wilson 2, Butler 2
UCSD goal scorers: Pevehouse 5, Stender 2, Onstott 2, Schilling, Ransone

CSUN saves: Pfister 5
UCSD saves: Bugelli 8

Game Two Recap
In the second match of the afternoon, the Matadors took care of business in a lopsided match against Fresno Pacific. Wilson led the CSUN offensive attack in scoring with four goals and adding two steals and one assist. Eight different Matadors scored in the victory.

CSUN kicked off the scoring with a Wilson goal in the first quarter to give the Matadors a lead out of the gates. The Matadors added on to that lead with a Sara Dempsey goal to make it 2-0 over the Sunbirds. After holding the lead through most of the quarter, Nonie Ann-Grant and Amy Zaninovich tied things up for Fresno Pacific, and the score was even at two after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Matadors played some of its best offense and defense of the season as CSUN tallied five goals in the quarter while shutting out the opposing Sunbirds attack to make it 7-2 at halftime. Five different Matadors accounted for the goals in the period with Wilson, Barthels, Dempsey, Elyse Koe and Katia Andon-Mateos all finding the back of the net.

CSUN would hold Fresno Pacific scoreless again in the third quarter while adding two more goals to their already large lead. The two goals came from Wilson who added on to her team-leading 45 goals on the season.

In the fourth, both teams traded goals before the buzzer sounded with CSUN adding three and Fresno Pacific tallying two in the period.

The Matadors had 11 steals in the game led by Alessia Marquez and Barthels who combined for eight steals.

FPU - 2-0-0-2 = 4
CSUN - 2-5-2-3 = 12

FPU goal scorers: Zaninovich 2, Brown, Grant
CSUN goal scorers: Wilson 4, Dempsey 2, Barthels, Andon-Mateos, L. Garcia, Koe, Cowie, Jansen

FPU saves: Frey 9
CSUN saves: Pfister 4

ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH MATT WARSHAW
"We are approaching the conference games and today was another good road test for our young team."

UP NEXT
The Matadors host a three-team tournament on Tuesday afternoon. CSUN will face Connecticut College at 2 p.m. before facing Austin College at 4 p.m. Austin and Connecticut College will also meet each other to kick off the day at noon.

No. 20 CSUN Water Polo Splits at Aztec Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Katia Andon-Mateos

Jennalyn Barthels

Madasonne Butler

Sara Dempsey

Kylee Jansen

Elyse Koe

Alessia Marquez

Tori Wilson