San Jose, Calif. - The No. 10 Pacific women's water polo team opened the 2016 season with a pair of games against top ranked competition, falling to No. 1 Stanford, 16-10, and to No. 3 Cal, 12-8, on Saturday to open the LouStrong Invitational. Freshmen Viktoria Szmodics and Kyra Christmas each scored four goals in their debuts vs Stanford, and Christmas added a hat trick against Cal.
Against the Cardinal in the morning game, Christmas finished with four goals and three assists, while Szmodics posted four goals and an assist. Alison Miller and Aelish Guinn also scored for Pacific.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Guinn just 35 seconds in but Stanford answered with goals 33 seconds apart at the 5:14 and 4:41 marks, as Madison Berggren capped a power-play and Kat Klass tallied even strength.
The first collegiate goal from Christmas tied the game at 2-2, but Gurpreet Sohi put the Cardinal back in front. Stanford took a two-goal lead on a goal from Dani Jackovich before Christmas converted a 6-on-5 goal of a feed from Szmodics. But Jackovich scored with 40 seconds left in the quarter, and Jamie Neushul made it 6-3 Stanford. Miller beat the first quarter clock to bring Pacific back within 6-4 off an assist from Catie Mahnke.
In the second, Stanford restored a three-goal lead as Jordan Raney tallied. Christmas completed the hat trick at the 3:10 mark, but Anna Yelizarova answered 15 seconds later. Jackovich scored twice and Klass added another as the Cardinal stretched the lead to 11-5 before Szmodics hit the back of the cage for her first goal 19 seconds before halftime.
The Tigers played Stanford even in the second half, as Alexis Hollinrake took over in the cage and made three saves. Christmas and Szmodics each tallied again in the third, but Yelizaraova's second goal gave Stanford a 14-8 lead headed into the fourth.
Szmodics added two fourth-quarter goals, bringing the Tigers within 15-10, but Klass capped the scoring with 24 seconds left for the final margin.
Christmas posted a hat trick for the Tigers again against No. 3 Cal, and also added an assist. Aelish Guinn scored twice while Ellen Tiedemann, Alison Miller and Elise Whittall also got on the board for the Tigers, who fall to 0-2.
Pippa Saunders scored four times for Cal, while Emily Loughlin added a hat trick and Kindred Paul scored twice.
Loughlin opened the scoring with a power play goal for Cal before Christmas answered off an assist from Rachel Krieger with a power play goal to tie the game.
But Cal seized control with three straight goals to close the first, as Saunders, Kacey Avalos and Paul scored.
Pacific pulled within two as Christmas scored again, but Loughlin answered back. After Tiedemann brought the Tigers within 5-3, Sarah Siepker scored on the 6-on-5 for the Golden Bears as Cal led 6-3 at the break.
In the third, Saunders stretched the lead to 7-3 before Miller tallied for the Tigers. Cal led 9-4 until Guinn tallied off a Kreiger assist. But Saunders immediately with 28 seconds left in the quarter. Christmas posted a goal with 10 seconds left as Megan Torre set up the power-play goal.
In the fourth, Whittall converted to narrow the margin to 10-7, but Loughlin answered back again. Guinn tacked on her second on the 6-on-5, but Paul rounded out the scoring for the Bears.
Alexis Hollinrake and Meghan Nee split time in the cage for Pacific, with each surrounding six goals. Hollinrake blocked a pair of shots with three steals while Nee posted three saves.
Cal keeper Madeline Trabucco recorded 11 saves and a steal for the Bears.
Pacific will face No. 9 UC Davis (noon) and Sonoma State (4:00 p.m.) on on Sunday.
