California Baptist University
Loyola Marymount
Down With The Champs
3/24/2016 6:25:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES — From the very first sprint, No. 22 California Baptist University set the tone against No. 16-ranked Loyola Marymount. The Lancers won every sprint and picked up an impressive 8-4 win over the reigning Golden Coast Conference champion Lions.
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CBU improves to 18-7 on the year and remains perfect in conference, 2-0. LMU drops to 8-15 overall, 1-1 in the GCC.
"It was big, with them being the two-time defending conference champions, that's always a big thing to come out and get a win against a team like that," Coach Jon Miller said. "It's a huge confidence builder and the more we win the more control we have over where we get seeded."
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Laura Kocsis won all of the four sprints for CBU. It put the Lancers on the attack early in each quarter as Hannah Evans scored two quick goals to put her team in front right away.
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LMU managed to cut the lead in half, 2-1, almost a minute after Evans' second goal of the day, but the senior two-meter completed her hat trick on her third shot, with two and a half minutes left in the first to keep CBU in front, 3-1.
"We were able to get Hannah three good looks at the cage in the first period, and that really set the tone for us," Miller said.
Once again, the Lions tried to keep the game close and scored the first goal of the second frame to pull within one, 3-2.
While the fast-start offense was nice, defense was the true key to the Lancers' victory. It was most evident in CBU's six-on-five defense, as the Lancers killed the first nine man-advantages they gave up.Â
"Our defense was on today, we really worked hard to take away their primary option and force them into some bad shots," Miller said. "Our girls played big, we didn't have anyone get scored on one-on-one, which is something we emphasized during the week. Our six-on-five defense was huge, too. Â
"It was nice not having to score 15 goals to win."Â
ÂAbout halfway into the second, CBU drew an ejection and called a timeout to draw up a play. The power play worked in the Lancers' favor as Kocsis found the back of the cage to give her team back its two-goal cushion.
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With about a minute and a half before halftime, Samantha Banks added some insurance by scoring her first goal of the game, 5-2.
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CBU started to pull away in the third quarter, scoring three goals in the eight-minute span. Valerie Spezzaferri capitalized first, rocketing a shot past the Lion goaltender, before Jessica Castellano made it a 7-2 game with still 11 full minutes to play.
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Evans all but sealed the victory as she scored her fifth goal of the contest in the under one-minute mark of the third period. It gave CBU a commanding 8-2 edge heading into the final eight minutes of the game.
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LMU managed to get two goals in the fourth — both after exclusions — but Meghan Rowland, who finished with five saves on the day, wouldn't allow any more to secure the 8-4 victory for the Lancers.Â
Despite the two late goals, CBU's defense proved the difference in the game, along with its fast-start offense. The Lancers were especially stout on six-on-five, as LMU managed just those two late goals on 11 man advantages.Â
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CBU will look to defend their unbeaten conference and home streaks as the Lancers return home for a pair of GCC contests. They host Fresno Pacific on Friday, April 1, at 4:00 p.m. and University of Pacific the following day at noon.Â
"This is a huge confidence builder and the more we win the more control we have over where we get seeded for the conference tournament," said Miller, whose team defeated Concordia in conference play and knocked off GCC-foe Santa Clara, 9-2, earlier this year. "The team has really taken the challenge against conference teams, and that's the goal for the year -- win conference -- and they know they have to bring it each game."
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