SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Kyra Christmas scored five goals with three assists as the No. 10 Pacific women's water polo team trounced Fresno Pacific, 15-3, in the quarterfinals of the Golden Coast Conference Championship Friday afternoon.
Mariana Duarte also posted hat trick, while Viktoria Tamas and Karolina Hlavata scored two goals apiece. Truly Dorland, Aelish Guinn, and Kennedy Watson also added goals for Pacific.
Alexis Hollinrake recorded six saves with three steals in goal for the Tigers.
Pacific advances to the semifinals on Saturday at noon against No. 23 Loyola Marymount.
In the battle of top newcomers in the GCC, went decisively to Pacific. Pacific held GCC Newcomer of the Year Amber Penney - who led the GCC in goals scored - to one goal on four shots. Pacific freshmen combined for 11 goals and four assists in the contest, with the junior transfer Watson adding another goal by the Tiger newcomers.
Christmas opened the scoring 21 seconds in and Duarte added a power-play goal for a 2-0 lead with 6:38 left in the first. Tamas capped another 6-on-5 off a pass from Hlavata as the Tigers led 3-0. Szmodics set up Dorland as the Tigers led 4-0 after the first quarter.
In the second, Amber Penney got the Sunbirds on the board before Duarte scored again. Guinn finished off a pass from Krieger and the Tigers carried a 6-1 lead into halftime.
Tamas tallied in the third of another Szmodics assist, and Christmas' second goal gave the Tigers an 8-1 lead. Hlavata scored off an outlet pass from Hollinrake for Pacific's ninth goal. Watson converted a 6-on-5 and Christmas completed her hat trick for a 10-goal lead at 11-1. Hlavata capped the third quarter with a goal with one second left as Pacific led 12-1 after three.
Hannah Holly posted Fresno Pacific's second goal in the fourth, before Duarte finished off her hat trick. Christmas' fourth goal gave the Tigers a 14-2 lead with 4:20 to go. Kaitlin Groothuyzen tacked on a goal for FPU with 2:02 remaining, but Christmas capped the scoring 42 seconds to go.
The Tigers converted 44 percent of their shots (15 of 34) while holding Fresno Pacific to 3 of 18 shooting, 17 percent. The Tigers killed off all six Sunbird 6-on-5s, while converting 4-of-7 with the advantage.
Fresno Pacific falls to 14-15 on the year and will head to the consolation side of the bracket against Cal Baptist.
Pacific improves to 18-8 on the year and will meet LMU for the third time this season, this time with a trip to the GCC Championship game on the line. The Tigers downed the Lions 11-5 on Feb. 25 at the the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine. Pacific also won the GCC regular season match-up, 8-3, on March 31.
