Box Score LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Closing out their regular season schedule with one final road game, the No. 12 Pacific women's water polo team (9-5, 6-1) secured a share of their third consecutive regular season GCC title with a thrilling 8-7 victory over No. 18 Loyola Marymount (3-5, 3-4) on Saturday afternoon.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Although the Lions struck first to open the scoring, junior Toula Falvey quickly responded for the Tigers down the stretch of the opening period, scoring at 3:23 and 2:10 in the first to help give Pacific a 2-1 lead at the end of the quarter.
• Following a third goal from Falvey to begin the second, redshirt senior Emma Myall and junior Brianna Utas found the back of the cage within a minute of each other, scoring at the 5:19 and 4:45 marks in the second to extend UOP's advantage to three at the halftime break. Heading into the locker room, Pacific controlled LMU, 5-2.
• Catching fire to begin the second half, junior Ana Martinez do Amaral scored twice in the third to combat two goals from the Lions. Through three quarters of play, the Tigers continued to hold a three-point advantage, 7-4.
• In the fourth, LMU would go on to outscore Pacific 3-1 in the period, but Falvey's fourth and final goal of the contest at 5:12 would prove to be the game winner for UOP. Delivering when it mattered most, the Tigers fended off the Lions' final attack in the closing seconds of the contest to hang on for the decisive 8-7 victory. 

 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• With the win, Pacific now moves to an impressive 26-2 in conference play since the beginning of the 2016-17 season, which is the year they began their current streak of regular season championships. This streak does not include the 2020 season that was abruptly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Heating up just in time for postseason play, Falvey recorded her second four goal game in her last three contests as the Novato native now leads the Tigers with 39 total goals in 2021. Overall, it was also the fifth time she has notched four goals this season.
• For do Amaral, Saturday's performance against the Lions marked the ninth time she has notched at least two goals in a match this year.
• As a team, Pacific led LMU in shots (36-21), goals (8-7), and exclusions (9-6).

 
UP NEXT:
After finishing in a three-way tie atop the conference standings with Fresno State and San Diego State, Pacific was awarded the No. 3 seed in the upcoming GCC Tournament, which will be hosted at Chris Kjeldsen Pool next weekend. To begin, the Tigers will play the second seeded Aztecs in the first semifinal matchup at 12:00 pm PST on Friday, Apr. 23. The winner of this match will advance to play the winner of No. 1 Fresno State and No. 4 California Baptist in the conference championship on Saturday, Apr. 24 at 12:00 pm PST. The winner of the GCC tournament will earn an automatic bid to the 2021 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships.
 
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).