Sunday, May 1
San Diego, Calif.
1:00 PM
California Baptist University
7
vs
5
Loyola Marymount
Photo by: Andrew Shortall
CBU Grabs Third in GCC
5/1/2016 3:15:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – In each of its first three seasons as a member, California Baptist University has improved its final standing in the Golden Coast Conference. The Lancers cemented that with a 7-5 win over Loyola Marymount in the conference tournament's third-place game Sunday afternoon.
"It was important to finish off the season the right way," Coach Jon Miller said. "We really had to earn it today. The third-place game is hard to play because you're so high from the semifinals, but we finished out the right way."
A dominant start and gutsy finish highlighted CBU's win over the fourth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Lions. The 23rd-ranked and third-seeded Lancers improve their program-best record since joining the NCAA in 2014 to 23-11.
"This team has set the standard high to be able to say we have improved every year," Miller said. "You keep doing that, and eventually you win a championship."
It was a fine sendoff for six influential CBU seniors, with the trio of Meghan Rowland, Hannah Evans — who was named to the all-tournament team — and Laura Kocsis putting up big games in their collegiate finales.
"It was especially important to win this game for us seniors," Rowland said. "We didn't play as well as we wanted yesterday, and we didn't want to play our last game ever to a loss and live with regret for the rest of our lives."
Kocsis notched a hat trick, a steal and assist. Evans scored twice and assisted on another goal, while Rowland blocked nine shots and forced four turnovers. Seniors Samantha Banks and Courtney Menard were a big part of the defensive lockdown for the Lancers, with each coming up with a steal.
"We wanted to come out and prove yesterday isn't who we are," Rowland said. "The crowd fueled that and so did the tension with the other team."
Defensively, CBU forced 21 LMU turnovers compared to 13 of its own. The Lancers also held the Lions to a 2-for-14 mark on six-on-five opportunities.
Jessica Castellano and Paizlee Dreyer also put up big performances, especially on defense. Castellano forced three steals, scored and added an assist, while Dreyer had two takeaways, a goal and assist.
CBU got out to a dominant start, with a suffocating defense, by scoring the first three goals of the game. Evans found the back of the cage first when she took a pass from Dreyer at two-meter and rose up over her defender for the goal just two minutes into play.
It was a defensive struggle in the early going, with Castellano scoring next from about 6.5 meters out off a Lizette Perez assist with 25 seconds to go in the opening quarter. The third-straight CBU goal came when Kocsis finished off a two-on-one counter attack with Evans, which was set up by a steal and outlet from Rowland, 4:10 into the second quarter.
LMU got on the board 22 seconds later, but Evans restored the three-goal lead with a powerplay goal with 1:41 left in the first half. Kocsis gave the Lancers their largest lead yet of the game, 5-1, with a goal off a Castellano dish, 2:32 into the third.
There was bound to be a Lions' run, though, and it came in the middle of the third quarter. They scored twice within 32 seconds to make it a two-goal game, 5-3, with 4:01 to play.
Physical play began to pick up, but CBU kept its cool and took advantage. Evans drew a five-meter penalty and fellow senior Kocsis finished the chance to make it a three-goal game again, 6-3, with 2:10 left in the quarter.
"We did a good job of staying in it," Miller said. "There were a few times where we got rattled, but going into the fourth quarter we did a good job of shaking that off and taking care of each possession."
Loyola Marymount kept charging and scored with 1:46 to play in the third. The Lions then had a golden opportunity to pull within a goal when it forced a turnover and exclusion to start the fourth quarter. Rowland kept LMU at arm's length, though, with a save on a point-blank shot.
"When it's just [me and the attacker], I just want to keep my composure and not come out to early," Rowland said. "They were starting to make a push and I really needed to make a stop."
"Meghan played big, like she has for us all season," Miller said. "She's a big reason we got where we did this year. Every time we needed a big stop, she was there, and that's an important part of finishing a game."
Altogether, Rowland came up with four big saves in the fourth quarter to help keep the Lancers in front. An exclusion goal from Dreyer, set up on a cross-pool pass from Kocsis, put the game away for good, giving CBU a 7-4 lead with 5:40 to play.
LMU managed to sneak one more goal in, but the Lancers wouldn't allow any more to seal the win, 7-5.
"It showed a lot of heart and toughness limiting them to just one goal in the fourth quarter to finish the game," Miller said.
"It was important to finish off the season the right way," Coach Jon Miller said. "We really had to earn it today. The third-place game is hard to play because you're so high from the semifinals, but we finished out the right way."
A dominant start and gutsy finish highlighted CBU's win over the fourth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Lions. The 23rd-ranked and third-seeded Lancers improve their program-best record since joining the NCAA in 2014 to 23-11.
"This team has set the standard high to be able to say we have improved every year," Miller said. "You keep doing that, and eventually you win a championship."
It was a fine sendoff for six influential CBU seniors, with the trio of Meghan Rowland, Hannah Evans — who was named to the all-tournament team — and Laura Kocsis putting up big games in their collegiate finales.
"It was especially important to win this game for us seniors," Rowland said. "We didn't play as well as we wanted yesterday, and we didn't want to play our last game ever to a loss and live with regret for the rest of our lives."
Kocsis notched a hat trick, a steal and assist. Evans scored twice and assisted on another goal, while Rowland blocked nine shots and forced four turnovers. Seniors Samantha Banks and Courtney Menard were a big part of the defensive lockdown for the Lancers, with each coming up with a steal.
"We wanted to come out and prove yesterday isn't who we are," Rowland said. "The crowd fueled that and so did the tension with the other team."
Defensively, CBU forced 21 LMU turnovers compared to 13 of its own. The Lancers also held the Lions to a 2-for-14 mark on six-on-five opportunities.
Jessica Castellano and Paizlee Dreyer also put up big performances, especially on defense. Castellano forced three steals, scored and added an assist, while Dreyer had two takeaways, a goal and assist.
CBU got out to a dominant start, with a suffocating defense, by scoring the first three goals of the game. Evans found the back of the cage first when she took a pass from Dreyer at two-meter and rose up over her defender for the goal just two minutes into play.
It was a defensive struggle in the early going, with Castellano scoring next from about 6.5 meters out off a Lizette Perez assist with 25 seconds to go in the opening quarter. The third-straight CBU goal came when Kocsis finished off a two-on-one counter attack with Evans, which was set up by a steal and outlet from Rowland, 4:10 into the second quarter.
LMU got on the board 22 seconds later, but Evans restored the three-goal lead with a powerplay goal with 1:41 left in the first half. Kocsis gave the Lancers their largest lead yet of the game, 5-1, with a goal off a Castellano dish, 2:32 into the third.
There was bound to be a Lions' run, though, and it came in the middle of the third quarter. They scored twice within 32 seconds to make it a two-goal game, 5-3, with 4:01 to play.
Physical play began to pick up, but CBU kept its cool and took advantage. Evans drew a five-meter penalty and fellow senior Kocsis finished the chance to make it a three-goal game again, 6-3, with 2:10 left in the quarter.
"We did a good job of staying in it," Miller said. "There were a few times where we got rattled, but going into the fourth quarter we did a good job of shaking that off and taking care of each possession."
Loyola Marymount kept charging and scored with 1:46 to play in the third. The Lions then had a golden opportunity to pull within a goal when it forced a turnover and exclusion to start the fourth quarter. Rowland kept LMU at arm's length, though, with a save on a point-blank shot.
"When it's just [me and the attacker], I just want to keep my composure and not come out to early," Rowland said. "They were starting to make a push and I really needed to make a stop."
"Meghan played big, like she has for us all season," Miller said. "She's a big reason we got where we did this year. Every time we needed a big stop, she was there, and that's an important part of finishing a game."
Altogether, Rowland came up with four big saves in the fourth quarter to help keep the Lancers in front. An exclusion goal from Dreyer, set up on a cross-pool pass from Kocsis, put the game away for good, giving CBU a 7-4 lead with 5:40 to play.
LMU managed to sneak one more goal in, but the Lancers wouldn't allow any more to seal the win, 7-5.
"It showed a lot of heart and toughness limiting them to just one goal in the fourth quarter to finish the game," Miller said.
Players Mentioned
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
2MD
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water PoloCalifornia Baptist WWP vs Azusa Pacific University
Wednesday, January 08
California Baptist WWP vs Fresno State
Wednesday, January 08
California Baptist WWP vs University of the Pacific
Wednesday, January 08
California Baptist WWP vs CSUN
Wednesday, January 08
