Stockton, Calif. – The Pacific women's water polo team's upset bid of No. 13 Maryland came up just short as the visiting Terrapins escaped, 10-8, in the first match of the Pacific Invitational Saturday, Mar. 24, at the Chris Kjeldsen Aquatics Complex.
Sophomores Malena Prlain and Elise Martin and freshman Taylor Adair scored two goals apiece for the Tigers. Sophomore goalkeeper Michele Relton blocked seven shots in a complete game showing.
Pacific (9-11) got off to a hot start as Martin gave the Tigers a quick 1-0 lead before Adair put Pacific on top 2-0 with 1:28 left in the first quarter. Maryland (13-4) scored its first goal of the match at the 1:11 mark, but junior Callan Rowe answered with a goal 20 seconds later to put the Tigers up 3-1. The Terrapins closed out the period with another goal, trimming Pacific's lead to one.
The visitors kept up their momentum in the second quarter, tying the match at 3-3 with a goal at the 7:08 mark. The Tigers responded with a pair of goals to close out the frame, the first from Martin at the 3:28 mark and the second from Prlain with 1:12 left.
Maryland opened the third quarter with a goal to pull to within one of the Tigers, but Pacific got another goal from Prlain to go back up by two before senior Kim Kay's goal gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game, 7-4, at the 6:44 mark. Just as it seemed Pacific had taken control of the game, the Terrapins mounted a huge comeback, using a 3-0 run over the next three minutes to tie the match at 7-7. Adair notched her second goal of the match at the 1:31 mark, giving Pacific an 8-7 lead with one quarter left to play.
The final period started off slow before Maryland knotted the match at 8-8 at the 4:09 mark before taking its first lead on a goal with 2:54 left. The visitors would score once more at the 2:31 mark while holding the Tigers scoreless over the final eight minutes.
Maryland was led by Nicole Tobin and Allison Campbell, both of whom had two goals. Shelby Reyes recorded three saves in four quarters of play.
Pacific is back in action tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. against rival UC Davis in a nonconference match at Kjeldsen Pool. The Pacific Invite resumes play at 10 am tomorrow when Maryland squares off against Santa Clara.
No. 13 Maryland 10, Pacific 8
Maryland 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 –– 10
Pacific 3 – 2 – 3 – 0 –– 8
Goals
Pacific – Adair 2, Prlain 2, Martin 2, Kay, Rowe
Maryland – Campbell 2, Tobin 2, Ermakova, Hoshko, Gerrity, Lewis, Respondek, Robinson
Goalkeeper Saves
Pacific – Relton 7
Maryland – Reyes 3
