California Baptist University
Redlands
WHEELER NETS FIVE
2/10/2008 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
LaJOLLA, Calif. ? California Baptist may have not started off the UC San Diego Triton Invitational on the right foot, but the Lancers finished it the right way. The Lancers (4-4) lost their opening game Sunday, 14-12, to Brown, but grabbed an 11-8 win over Redlands.
“It's hard to lose those close games especially when we put ourselves in good positions to win,” said CBU head coach Jacob Medina. “We were up on Brown and were up on Indiana yesterday, but we just let things slip away. Part of that is that we are still getting up to game speed and getting used to getting up and down the pool with top teams.”
In the opener Brown netted a goal with 2:07 left to play to break an 11-11 tie and added another just 26 seconds later to put the game away. The Bears also added another insurance goal with 42 seconds left to win it
CBU trailed 2-0, early in the first, before going on a 4-1 run to end the quarter with a 4-3 lead. Ashleigh Wheeler scored a pair of goals in the quarter to go with solo goals by Collette Brown and Brittany Baurer.
The Bears tied the game at four early in the second, but Wheeler's third goal of the game gave the Lancers a 5-4 lead. Brown answered big going on a 4-1 run to close out the first half taking an 8-6 lead. The Bears opened the second half with another goal to take a 9-6 lead before CBU got back-to-back goals from Kylie Chevalier and Wheeler.
Whitney Shaw tied the game at nine with 6:42 to play and then Wheeler scored her fifth goal of the game to tie it at 10. After Brown took an 11-10 lead, Brown scored her second goal of the game to knot it at 11. That's when the Bears sealed the win with three straight goals.
“Ashleigh has been playing amazing as of late,” said Medina. “This whole weekend she was drawing ejections and driving all over the place. She's coming off a week out of the water and I was a little hesitant of how she was feeling, but she proved herself. She really got after it and mixed it up effectively.”
Julie Abendschein and Kayla Lind combined for seven saves.
In the nightcap both Cydney Owen and Chevalier both recorded hat tricks while Shaw and Brown each scored a pair of goals. Chelsea Gentry also scored a solo goal for the Lancers as they downed the Bulldogs for the second straight time this year.
Abendschein and Lind combined for nine saves in the win.
The Lancers will now get set to head to the Cal State Bakersfield tournament next weekend.
