STOCKTON, Calif. - The No. 23 Pacific women's water polo team could not get redemption against No. 2 UCLA on Sunday afternoon, falling by a final score of 13-8 at Chris Kjeldsen Pool.
Although they would outscore the Bruins in the second half, the Tigers could not find the late magic to complete the comeback.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
First Half-
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Getting on the board first, UCLA scored at the 6:23 mark in the opening frame on a goal by Emily Skelly to take the early 1-0 lead.
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Keeping Pacific scoreless through the entire first quarter, the Bruins netted three goals to close out the period as they held a 4-0 advantage heading into the second.
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Despite three more goals to begin the quarter, sophomore Brianna Utas found her fellow classmate Ana Martinez do Amaral for UOP's first goal of the match with 1:35 remaining in the half.
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Unfortunately, the Tigers went into the locker room trailing UCLA by seven, 8-1.
Second Half-
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Kick-starting the offense for Pacific out of the break, sophomore Toula Falvey found the back of the cage for the first time at 5:32 before do Amaral netted her second of the contest at 1:21 to bring the Tigers within five.
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At the end of three periods of play, the Bruins were still in front, 8-3.
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UCLA would score two goals to begin the fourth quarter, but Pacific quickly responded as junior Savannah Fitzgerald began heating up with her first goal at the 5:54 mark.
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Completing the hat-trick for the third match in a row, Fitzgerald netted back-to-back goals at 3:56 and 2:05 at the Tigers attempted to battle back down the stretch.
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Ultimately, Falvey and sophomore Lucy Davis kept the pressure on UCLA as the clock wound down, but the No. 2 Bruins hung on to take down No. 23 Pacific by a final score of 13-8.
UP NEXT:
The Tigers will enjoy a full week off at home before hosting Concordia-Irvine in a GCC contest on Sunday, Mar. 15. The match is set to begin at 1:00 pm at Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Pacific Aquatics Center. Video and live stats will be available via pacifictigers.com.
FOLLOW US:
For more information and updates on the Pacific women's water polo team, please follow the team on Twitter (@Pacific_WWP), Instagram (@pacificwaterpolo) and Facebook (@pacificwomenswaterpolo).
