California Baptist University
Loyola Marymount University
Conference Clash
3/14/2014 12:20:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – There was no doubt California Baptist University's second Golden Coast Conference game of the season would be a challenge, with a trip to Loyola Marymount University on the schedule.
The 20th-ranked Lancers found themselves locked up with the No. 9 Lions Thursday evening. Loyola Marymount utilized an early first-quarter run to take a lead it never relinquished, as CBU fell 15-7. The Lancers' record is now at 10-9, 0-2 in conference as it sees its three-game winning streak come to a close. LMU has won two-straight and now sits 11-6, 2-0 in the GCC.
"We've done a good job all year of playing really good team defense but today we were getting beat one-on-one and not defending and moving as a group," Coach Jonathan Miller said. "We've shown ourselves to be a good defensive team throughout the year. It comes down to energy, so we know what it will take to get back to it."
CBU was led by two-goal games from Laura Kocsis and Christina Young and eight saves from Lina Medeiros, who came in as a substitute in the cage.
The Lions scored the first three goals of the game, two on exclusions, before CBU could get on the board on a six-on-five score from Kocsis with 2:10 to play. LMU came through with the last goal of the quarter to take a 4-1 lead into the second and then added the first of the next frame.
Morgan Barrows and Mallory Montano both scored in the second quarter at the respective 6:05 and 3:16 marks to go into halftime down 7-3. While CBU battled, it was unable to pull any closer. Kocsis and Young scored consecutive goals in a 52-second span in the third quarter, but LMU did not let the Lancers any closer by scoring next to end the 2-0 run.
Courtney Menard and Young both scored in the fourth quarter to cap CBU's scoring on the day.
Thursday's game can prove a message to CBU moving forward in conference and with an eye on the conference tournament, Miller said.
"They have the best record in the conference and are the top-ranked team in the conference," Miller said. "If we want to win a conference championship we'll have to go through them, so there are things we took away for next time we see them."
The Lancers continue their busy week with the second and final Lancer Invite of the season Friday and Saturday. CBU will face La Verne and Iona Friday at 11:40 a.m. and 6:20 p.m., respectively, at the Lancer Aquatics Center and return Saturday to take on the Virginia Military Institute and Chapman at 11:40 a.m. and 7:40 p.m., respectively.
"We don't have time to dwell on the loss," Miller said. "We have to get back in and play two games tomorrow; sometimes that's the best thing. It will be a good chance for us to get back to what we do well. There are a lot of good teams coming in, so nothing will be easy but I am looking forward to it being a good weekend."
