California Baptist University
Loyola Marymount
Dreyer on Fire
4/6/2017 8:28:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A quick start and strong finish put California Baptist University on the verge of upsetting 21st-ranked Loyola Marymount in Golden Coast Conference play on Thursday.
A few inches made the difference in the game, as the 25th-ranked Lancers had four shots go off the post in the fourth quarter alone, allowing the Lions to hold on for the 8-6 win at the Lancer Aquatics Center. CBU dropped to 15-11, 1-3 in conference and LMU improved to 11-13, 3-2.
The Lancers are back in GCC action next Thursday, as Santa Clara visits Riverside at 4 p.m. CBU will host its Senior Day on Thursday, April 20th versus Concordia University of Irvine at 7 p.m.
Big performances from seniors Paizlee Dreyer and Lina Medeiros highlighted the game for the Lancers. Dreyer, a driver, scored a hat trick in the first 14 minutes, 29 seconds, finishing with those three goals and a steal. Medeiros made a number of big saves in the cage and accumulated a total of 14, along with three steals.
Dreyer came out firing and scored CBU's first three goals of the game. The first two came in the opening 1:17 to give the Lancers a 2-0 lead. LMU rattled off the next four goals, but the Lancers took some momentum into halftime after Dreyer's third tally with 1:31 to go in the half.
It led to CBU scoring 21 seconds into the second half on Valerie Spezzaferri's first of two goals. The Lions stemmed the tide with four-consecutive goals, which concluded with LMU up 8-4 with 5:28 to play. Spezzaferri sparked the Lancers' late comeback attempt with a goal at the 3:32 mark, and Jaclyn Myers put fear into the heart of the Lions, scoring with a soft shot from deep with 2:42 to play.
Sensing CBU was building toward something, Loyola Marymount did all it could to kill the clock and escaped with the victory.
