Los Angeles - The No. 12 Pacific Women's Water Polo team used a flurry of fourth quarter goals to down No. 18 Loyola Marymount, 9-8, at the Burns Aquatic Center at LMU in the Golden Coast Conference opener Friday.
Pacific rallied from down 8-6 with three unanswered goals from Ellen Tiedemann (2) and Karolina Hlavata in the fourth quarter. Hlavata finished with four goals, while Ellen Tiedemann posted a hat trick, her second of the year against LMU. Rachel Krieger scored the other two goals for Pacific.
The Tigers improve to 9-14 overall and 1-0 in GCC play. LMU fall to 8-16 overall and 1-2 in the GCC.
Alexis Hollinrake made seven saves while recording two steals in the win.
Pacific got onto the scoreboard first with six minutes remaining in the first half as Viktoria Szmodics fed Hlavata who punched in her team-leading 43rd goal of the season. Loyola Marymount answered with just under two minutes remaining in the first period, with Erin Byrne scoring at even-strength to level the scoreline at 1-1.
The Tigers regained the lead with an Tiedemann goal, with Szmodics picking up the assist yet again. Tiedemann's strike was her 20th of the season. Just 18 seconds later, Bridgette Alvarez again equalized as the Lions tied the contest at 2-2.
With 6:01 remaining in the half, LMU took a 3-2 lead on a goal from Ivana Castro after an exclusion was called on Tiedemann leading to a five-meter penalty call. An even-strength tally from Hlavata, her 44th, put the Orange and Black back level at 3-3, with Szmodics picking up her third assist of the game.
At the 2:19 mark, an exclusion was called on Aelish Guinn, leading to another five-meter try by Caitlin Schafer, who converted to give LMU a 4-3 lead going into the halftime break.
With just over six minutes remaining in the third, Loyola Marymount pulled ahead by two at 5-3 with a Kingsley Hill goal on a 6 on 5 opportunity, but Hlavata picked up the hat-trick to draw closer at 5-4. Hill then converted with 5:34 left in the third to restore the two goal lead for the host Lions.
The Orange and Black pulled to within one at 6-5, delivering a salvo at the 3:29 mark as Hlavata found Krieger who punched it in with a backhand towards the far post.
Castro scored for the Lions with 34 seconds left in the quarter, giving LMU a two-goal cushion. Krieger pulled Pacific to within 7-6 with her second goal of the day but a five-meter call, the third of the day against the Tigers, was awarded to LMU with one second left in the third quarter as Castro again converted the try for a 8-6 advantage.
The first attack of the fourth went to the Tigers, as Tiedemann faked a pass and delivered a lob shot towards the near side of the cage, converting on the attempt, which was set up by an assist from Krieger to cut the LMU lead to 8-7. At the 6:09 mark in the final period, Pacific tied the contest at 8-8 with Hlavata's fourth goal of the day, a tip-in off Szmodics' fifth assist of the contest.
The Tigers took a 9-8 lead with a one-timer from Tiedemann, who tallied a hat-trick after receiving a centering pass from Szmodics for the third unanswered goal in a row for the visitors.
Coming out of a timeout, Castro made a daring shot attempt from the top of the scoring area with 41 seconds, but Hollinrake made an easy save.
An exclusion was called on Krieger with just one second left on the contest, but a last-second attempt from Hill was corralled by Hollinrake to send Pacific to victory.
Pacific returns to action on Saturday against #21 Cal Baptist at 12:00 p.m. - Live stats will be available via PacificTigers.com.
