Friday, April 25
Irvine, Calif.
2:30 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
16-13
8
vs
22
NO. 2 SEED Long Beach State
16-10
1
2
3
4
F
CSUN
2
2
3
1
8
Long Beach State
3
7
6
6
22
Photo by: Big West Conference
CSUN Water Polo's Season Ends with First-Round Defeat to LBSU at Big West Championship
4/25/2025 4:15:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
IRVINE, Calif.---Seventh-seeded CSUN fell by a score of 22-8 to second-seeded Long Beach State in a first round match at the Big West Water Polo Championship on Friday at Anteater Aquatics Complex. Senior Anna Pal reached 200 career goals with a three-goal performance while Kianna Melvin chipped in with two goals. Erika Staine totaled five saves in 16 minutes in front of the cage.
With her hat trick, Pal became the first Matador in team history to reach 200 career goals and 200 career assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN would get off to a quick start as the Matadors forced a pair of turnovers to open the contest. After earning a power play, Melvin scored on a feed from Pal to put CSUN ahead first. Moments later, CSUN drew a five-meter penalty leading to Pal hitting the net to make it a 2-0 score. CSUN held the sixth-ranked Beach scoreless for the first three-plus minutes of the match before Grace Cuozzo put LBSU on the scoreboard. The lead stood at 2-1 until the final 1:18 of the first quarter when the Beach scored twice, both on 6-on-5 chances, to stake to a 3-2 lead through one quarter.
Long Beach State would record the first two goals of the second quarter for a 5-2 lead, but the Matadors drew closer on a five-meter penalty from Pal. After struggling on offense in the first quarter, the Beach came alive in the second period. Consecutive goals from Jamie Oberman and Elisa Portillo extended the lead to four. A Helena Sandhagen goal trimmed the deficit to 7-4, but three straight Beach goals made it a 10-4 game at intermission.
The Matadors would have their highest scoring quarter in the third, netting three goals. CSUN though never got closer than six as the Beach countered with a six-goal period. Melvin hit her second goal of the match with 5:41 left in the second quarter while freshman Lucie Lapuz and senior Nicole Bacoyanis supplied CSUN's two other goals in the period.
Ahead 16-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Beach scored the first two of the final stanza to extend the lead to double digits. Pal netted her 200th career goal with 5:47 remaining in the period, cutting the lead to 18-8. The Beach though scored four more times to help clinch the victory.
NOTES OF THE GAME
ACCORDING TO COACH MATT WARSHAW
"I loved our fight and battle against a top-ranked opponent in Long Beach. This team has been to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the last four, five years and today we send nine seniors into the real world. Within the circle, there are quite a few record holders and that's a true sign of a legitimate program. The amazing culture we've created is unmatched in college water polo and I couldn't be more proud of this group of student-athletes. The future is bright."
#GoMatadors
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With her hat trick, Pal became the first Matador in team history to reach 200 career goals and 200 career assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN would get off to a quick start as the Matadors forced a pair of turnovers to open the contest. After earning a power play, Melvin scored on a feed from Pal to put CSUN ahead first. Moments later, CSUN drew a five-meter penalty leading to Pal hitting the net to make it a 2-0 score. CSUN held the sixth-ranked Beach scoreless for the first three-plus minutes of the match before Grace Cuozzo put LBSU on the scoreboard. The lead stood at 2-1 until the final 1:18 of the first quarter when the Beach scored twice, both on 6-on-5 chances, to stake to a 3-2 lead through one quarter.
Long Beach State would record the first two goals of the second quarter for a 5-2 lead, but the Matadors drew closer on a five-meter penalty from Pal. After struggling on offense in the first quarter, the Beach came alive in the second period. Consecutive goals from Jamie Oberman and Elisa Portillo extended the lead to four. A Helena Sandhagen goal trimmed the deficit to 7-4, but three straight Beach goals made it a 10-4 game at intermission.
The Matadors would have their highest scoring quarter in the third, netting three goals. CSUN though never got closer than six as the Beach countered with a six-goal period. Melvin hit her second goal of the match with 5:41 left in the second quarter while freshman Lucie Lapuz and senior Nicole Bacoyanis supplied CSUN's two other goals in the period.
Ahead 16-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Beach scored the first two of the final stanza to extend the lead to double digits. Pal netted her 200th career goal with 5:47 remaining in the period, cutting the lead to 18-8. The Beach though scored four more times to help clinch the victory.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN concludes the 2025 season at 16-13 overall while Long Beach State improves to 16-10 and will play in the Big West Championship semifinals.
- A three-time All-American, Pal wraps up her CSUN career as the Matadors' all-time assist leader with 209 in her four-year career. She is also ranked sixth in school history in goals with her 200 career tallies.
- Dorottya Telek, another three-time All-American, finishes her Matador career as the program's all-time leader in career goals with 376 while she holds the single-season goal mark with 104 scored this season.
- A two-time All-American, Sandhagen and Bacoyanis scored goals in their final collegiate matches. Also concluding their water polo careers on Friday were Jessica Matkovich, Kate Cornejo, Valeria Martinez, Kelsey Meyers and Tatum Scarry.
- CSUN posted its third consecutive winning season in 2025 and maintained a national top-25 ranking for 12 of 14 weeks of the regular season.
ACCORDING TO COACH MATT WARSHAW
"I loved our fight and battle against a top-ranked opponent in Long Beach. This team has been to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the last four, five years and today we send nine seniors into the real world. Within the circle, there are quite a few record holders and that's a true sign of a legitimate program. The amazing culture we've created is unmatched in college water polo and I couldn't be more proud of this group of student-athletes. The future is bright."
#GoMatadors
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Team Stats
CSUN
LBSU
Shots
26
39
Goals
8
22
Assists
6
13
Points
14
35
Exclusions
18
9
Steals
5
16
Sprints
1
3
1
Kianna Melvin
5:53
Anna Pal
5:10
Grace Cuozzo
4:29
Brooklyn Plomp
1:18
Martina Cardona
0:25
2
Martina Cardona
6:12
Elisa Portillo
5:35
Anna Pal
5:18
Jamie Oberman
4:13
Elisa Portillo
3:59
Helena Sandhagen
2:54
Martina Cardona
2:42
Daniela Quinzada Gonzalez
2:03
Rita Gurri Capel
0:53
3
Martina Cardona
7:24
Kianna Melvin
5:41
Daniela Quinzada Gonzalez
5:32
Gaby Patenaude
4:46
Lucie Lapuz
4:04
Brooklyn Plomp
3:42
Nicole Bacoyanis
3:32
Ellie Goren
1:37
Gaby Patenaude
0:21
4
Gaby Patenaude
7:38
Elisa Portillo
5:59
Anna Pal
5:47
Jermonie Billingsly
5:03
Ellie Goren
4:06
Zelma Koka
0:59
Zelma Koka
0:27
Game Leaders
Shots
4
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
4
Goals
0
Assists
0
Points
0
Shots
3
Goals
0
Assists
2
Points
2
Players Mentioned
Attacker
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Utility
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Utility
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Utility
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Utility
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Utility
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Utility
/ Women's Water PoloAttacker
/ Women's Water PoloAttacker
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Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
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