California Baptist University
UC Santa Barbara
.JPG&height=300&type=webp)
Lancers Open in Resilient Fashion
1/20/2017 3:53:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Resiliency was on full display on the first day of the 2017 season for California Baptist University at the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite.
Despite losses to ninth-ranked UC Santa Barbara, 13-8, and No. 25 Bakersfield, 7-5, on Friday, the 22nd-ranked Lancers showed they will battle back from any deficit. CBU opens the year 0-2, while the Gauchos are 2-0 and Roadrunners are 1-1.
Day two of the UCSB Winter Invite contains a matchup with second-ranked USC and Sonoma State at 10:10 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., respectively.
Sophomore driver Lizette Perez and redshirt senior goalie Lina Medeiros made big statements on the first day of the new year. Perez scored a team-high five goals, drew 11 ejections, tallied three assists and forced four steals in the two games. Medeiros posted 16 saves, four steals and two assists, as well.
CBU opened the season with a top-10 test against ninth-ranked tournament host UC Santa Barbara. Despite the loss, the Lancers showcased their tough defense and resilient play when faced with a deficit.
Perez recorded a hat trick, drew six kick exclusions, forced two steals and an assist against the Gauchos. Medeiros did a bit of everything in the cage, with six saves, three steals and two assists.
CBU struck first two minutes, 39 seconds into the game when Perez drew an exclusion and then scored on an assist from Paizlee Dreyer. UCSB finished the first quarter on a 3-0 run, but the Lancers fought back to a 3-3 tie.
Perez scored first in transition off a Medeiros assist, and then Valerie Spezzaferri cashed in on a man-advantage opportunity off an Auer pass to knot the score with 1:17 left in the first half. The Gauchos scored the next two goals, but a six-on-five tally from Jessica Castellano kept it a one-goal game for CBU, 5-4.
Dreyer would score before the third quarter came to a close, but UCSB still worked its way to a 10-5 lead with eight minutes to play. The Lancers never let up and tallied the first two goals of the fourth quarter to pull within 10-7. Perez notched her hat trick off a Medeiros steal and assist and then Auer finished off a counter attack after Castellano forced a turnover at the other end.
In game two, Perez came away with five drawn ejections, two goals, two assists and two assists.
Bakersfield came out and grabbed a 4-1 lead. The Lancers finished the game on a 4-3 run, with Pua Wong, Spezzaferri and Dreyer also scoring in the game, but the Roadrunners wouldn't let CBU close it to a one-goal game.
