California Baptist University
Concordia (Calif.)
CBU Spoils Concordia's Senior Day
4/18/2018 4:57:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
IRVINE, Calif. – A second-half surge powered California Baptist University to a 10-4 win over Concordia University of Irvine on the Eagles' Senior Day at the William Woollett Aquatics Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Defense continued to shine for the 22nd-ranked Lancers in the NCAA (Divisions I-III), as they have held their last three opponents, including two top-21 ranked teams, to an average of 4.3 goals a game. Grace Ramirez had 10 saves and two steals, while Lizette Perez spearheaded the offensive attack with three goals, two assists, three drawn ejections and a steal.
"Our communication, eye contact, knowing where we need to be and trust in each other has been key for our defense," Perez said. "We had to match up to their level of intensity because it was their senior game. Senior days can be tough because you warm up and then you get cold (during the senior ceremony), and they're excited because it's their last game."
True freshman Kira O'Donell also had two goals, two assists and a drawn ejection for the Lancers, who also received a goal and assist from Annie Eubanks, Allie Coleman and goals from Jaclyn Myers, Amy Branch and Vickie Ochoa.
CBU plays its final regular-season and Senior Day game on Saturday when it hosts Fresno State is Golden Coast Conference play at noon at the Lancer Aquatics Center. The Lancers are now 15-15, 3-3 in conference, while CUI dropped to 5-14, 0-5. Fresno State comes into Riverside with a 5-16, 2-4 record.
The Lancers never trailed, but Concordia came out inspired for its Senior Game and matched CBU goal for goal out to a 3-3 tie with 3:37 left in the first half. CBU would go on to score three-straight goals to take command of the game and finish it on a 7-1 run.
Eubanks kept CBU in front when she took a pass, improved her position into the middle of the pool and then put a shot away into the low corner to give CBU a 4-3 lead with 2:27 left in the first half and the score stayed that going into halftime.
A pep talk at halftime appeared to flip a switch for the Lancers and specifically Perez, as she scored two goals in 33 seconds to give CBU a 6-3 lead less than two minutes into the third quarter.
"We had to adjust, Coach told us go all the way to two because we were all scattered all over and [the offense] wasn't set up right," Perez said. "Once we started pushing, more opportunities opened up."
Perez's first goal came when she brought the ball into the two-meter zone and then beat the goalie on a cross-cage shot from a tough angle. A Concordia turnover put the Lancers back on the attack and Perez drew an ejection on the other end. It led to her second-straight goal, as she gobbled up a rebound on a goalie block and then muscled it home to bring the score to 6-3.
The Eagles broke the run momentarily near the five-minute mark, but Ochoa cashed in a penalty shot to turn things into CBU's favor for good. O'Donell, Perez and Myers all scored in the waning minutes, as the Lancers made wholesale substitutions en route to the victory.
