Thursday, February 29
Northridge, Calif.
3:30 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Siena
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
CSUN's Home Opener and Big West Opener at UCSD Highlight Busy Weekend
2/28/2024 4:18:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---No. 23 CSUN Water Polo opens a five-match week on Thursday with its home opener against Siena at 3:30 p.m.
The Matadors will then hit the road to compete in the Convergence Tournament on Friday with CSUN taking on No. 23 Marist at 10:15 a.m. on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer and Chapman in a road match at 3:15 p.m. later that day. On Saturday, CSUN opens Big West play at No. 15 UC San Diego at noon on ESPN+. The weekend will conclude back at Matador Pool on Sunday where CSUN hosts Iona at 11 a.m.
LAST TIME OUT
CSUN (11-4) went 3-1 at the Tina Finali Tournament, hosted by Cal Lutheran over the weekend. The Matadors knocked off Cal State East Bay 14-12 before falling to No. 11 LMU on Friday. CSUN won twice on Saturday over Azusa Pacific (16-8) and Cal Lutheran (13-7). With the three wins, CSUN has won seven of its last eight matches.
TELEK MAKES HISTORY (AGAIN)
Center Dorottya Telek made CSUN history last weekend at the Tina Finali Tournament by breaking the school's all-time career goals record. Telek scored nine goals, also tying her personal single-game goal record versus Azusa Pacific on Saturday. The nine goals put her into the all-time top spot in CSUN history with 230 career goals, surpassing previous record holder Madeleine Sanchez. Telek would score once more later in the day against Cal Lutheran to give her 231 career tallies. Telek now holds the all-time career goals record, single-season goals record (101 in 2023) and single-game goals records (nine goals twice this season) at CSUN.
TOP PERFORMERS
Telek heads into this week's games the Big West leader in goals with 53 scored while Helena Sandhagen and Anna Pal is in sixth place with 27 tallies. Pal also tops the conference in assists with 33 followed by Shelby Hovanesian in second place with 29 helpers. In the steals department, Hovanesian has registered a team-high 12. Goalkeeper Meghan Lopez ranks in sixth place in The Big West in saves with 69 while Samantha Bright is in ninth place with 45 saves.
A CLOSER LOOK AT EACH OPPONENT
Siena have gone 5-5 on the season. The Saints have already matched their win total from last year. The team's top returning scorer is Parker Thomas, who tallied 40 goals a season ago, while goalkeeper Caroline Behr had 53 saves in 2023. CSUN defeated Siena in the teams' first-ever meeting last season by a 15-9 score.
Marist comes in with a 10-10 overall record. The Red Foxes share a No. 23 national ranking with CSUN entering this week's games. Marist's top returning scorer this year is Ella Baumgarten who had 62 goals last season and was an ACWPC All-American. In front of the cage, Ines Sanchez had a team-best 90 saves in 2023. CSUN leads Marist 8-2 in the all-time series with wins in two-straight matches including last season by a 10-8 margin.
Chapman, which holds the No. 5 ranking in this week's Division III poll, sports a 3-3 overall record. The Panthers' top scorer from last season Alyssa Fricker is coming off a strong season where she scored 69 goals. In net, Georgina Burton has also returned to the team after posting 208 saves in 2023. CSUN has won all 11 meetings with Chapman in water polo with its most recent victory coming in 2022 by a 19-4 score.
The 15th-ranked UC San Diego Tritons come in with a 7-8 overall record with each of their losses coming to top-15 teams. Caroline Christl leads the team with 24 goals while Kendall Thomas has 23 goals and Annika Arroyo has 13 goals and 16 assists. Both Katie Ward and Lexi Stahl have 42 saves apiece in goal. UCSD holds a narrow 14-12 edge over CSUN in the all-time series with wins in nine consecutive meetings.
Iona have gone 4-4 on the year. Lola Trujillo has a team-high 19 goals with eight assists on the year while Jenna Handali has 11 goals and 11 assists. In goal, Lilly Morris has a team-best 42 saves with a 9.11 goals-against-average. CSUN has won both all-time meetings with Iona with its recent win coming in 2018 by a 10-6 score.
#GoMatadors
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The Matadors will then hit the road to compete in the Convergence Tournament on Friday with CSUN taking on No. 23 Marist at 10:15 a.m. on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer and Chapman in a road match at 3:15 p.m. later that day. On Saturday, CSUN opens Big West play at No. 15 UC San Diego at noon on ESPN+. The weekend will conclude back at Matador Pool on Sunday where CSUN hosts Iona at 11 a.m.
LAST TIME OUT
CSUN (11-4) went 3-1 at the Tina Finali Tournament, hosted by Cal Lutheran over the weekend. The Matadors knocked off Cal State East Bay 14-12 before falling to No. 11 LMU on Friday. CSUN won twice on Saturday over Azusa Pacific (16-8) and Cal Lutheran (13-7). With the three wins, CSUN has won seven of its last eight matches.
TELEK MAKES HISTORY (AGAIN)
Center Dorottya Telek made CSUN history last weekend at the Tina Finali Tournament by breaking the school's all-time career goals record. Telek scored nine goals, also tying her personal single-game goal record versus Azusa Pacific on Saturday. The nine goals put her into the all-time top spot in CSUN history with 230 career goals, surpassing previous record holder Madeleine Sanchez. Telek would score once more later in the day against Cal Lutheran to give her 231 career tallies. Telek now holds the all-time career goals record, single-season goals record (101 in 2023) and single-game goals records (nine goals twice this season) at CSUN.
TOP PERFORMERS
Telek heads into this week's games the Big West leader in goals with 53 scored while Helena Sandhagen and Anna Pal is in sixth place with 27 tallies. Pal also tops the conference in assists with 33 followed by Shelby Hovanesian in second place with 29 helpers. In the steals department, Hovanesian has registered a team-high 12. Goalkeeper Meghan Lopez ranks in sixth place in The Big West in saves with 69 while Samantha Bright is in ninth place with 45 saves.
A CLOSER LOOK AT EACH OPPONENT
Siena have gone 5-5 on the season. The Saints have already matched their win total from last year. The team's top returning scorer is Parker Thomas, who tallied 40 goals a season ago, while goalkeeper Caroline Behr had 53 saves in 2023. CSUN defeated Siena in the teams' first-ever meeting last season by a 15-9 score.
Marist comes in with a 10-10 overall record. The Red Foxes share a No. 23 national ranking with CSUN entering this week's games. Marist's top returning scorer this year is Ella Baumgarten who had 62 goals last season and was an ACWPC All-American. In front of the cage, Ines Sanchez had a team-best 90 saves in 2023. CSUN leads Marist 8-2 in the all-time series with wins in two-straight matches including last season by a 10-8 margin.
Chapman, which holds the No. 5 ranking in this week's Division III poll, sports a 3-3 overall record. The Panthers' top scorer from last season Alyssa Fricker is coming off a strong season where she scored 69 goals. In net, Georgina Burton has also returned to the team after posting 208 saves in 2023. CSUN has won all 11 meetings with Chapman in water polo with its most recent victory coming in 2022 by a 19-4 score.
The 15th-ranked UC San Diego Tritons come in with a 7-8 overall record with each of their losses coming to top-15 teams. Caroline Christl leads the team with 24 goals while Kendall Thomas has 23 goals and Annika Arroyo has 13 goals and 16 assists. Both Katie Ward and Lexi Stahl have 42 saves apiece in goal. UCSD holds a narrow 14-12 edge over CSUN in the all-time series with wins in nine consecutive meetings.
Iona have gone 4-4 on the year. Lola Trujillo has a team-high 19 goals with eight assists on the year while Jenna Handali has 11 goals and 11 assists. In goal, Lilly Morris has a team-best 42 saves with a 9.11 goals-against-average. CSUN has won both all-time meetings with Iona with its recent win coming in 2018 by a 10-6 score.
#GoMatadors
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Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
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Goalkeeper
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Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
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