RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Pacific (1-1) set a Tiger scoring record with 24 goals in a 24-8 win over Fresno Pacific on Friday evening at the Lancer Joust on the campus of California Baptist, earning a split in its first two contests of the 2023 season. The #19 Tigers lost the first contest to #2 USC, 16-6. In the USC contest, the two teams were tied 6-6 in the third quarter before USC tallied 10 unanswered goals, including a decisive 4-0 run late in the third period.
"Today was a great way to start the season," said head coach James Graham. "We played the second-ranked team in the country tough for most of the game, and then had a quick turnaround and got the win. We got to see where we stand, and we look forward to making the required iterations to get better. There was a lot of promising play today, and we look forward to building on that."
The Trojans (1-0) jumped out to a 3-0 start before sophomore
Hila Futorian scored the first Tiger goal at the 7:08 mark of the second quarter. Later in the quarter, three freshmen scored their first Pacific goals:
Alicia Petkov,
Dora Alaksza and
Noemi Alaksza. The Tigers were within one at halftime, 5-4.
After a USC goal early in the third quarter, Pacific tied the score at six with goals by sophomore
Szamira Koppány and freshman Petkov (power play). The Trojans responded with four straight third-quarter goals to a 10-6 edge into the final quarter. In the fourth, USC continued the offense, scoring six more unanswered goals to finish with a 16-6 win.
Pacific started three freshmen and two sophomores, along with senior goalkeeper
Clara Vulpisi and graduate student
Lucy Davis in the opening contest.
Against the Sunbirds, the Tigers jetted out to a 5-0 lead to open the game, including two goals by
Dora Alaksza. Up 5-2 entering the second, the Pacific outscored Fresno Pacific 7-1 in the quarter for a 12-3 edge at intermission. The Tigers bested the Sunbirds in the second half, 12-5, to account for the 24-8 final.
In her first competition day for Pacific, Petrov led all scorers with six goals in the game; she had eight on the day.
Dora Alaksza added four goals and a team-best three steals. Koppany matched her career high with three goals, set against the Sunbirds last season. Sophomore
Addison McGowan also tallied three goals, matching her career best. Davis, Futorian and sophomore
Ilyana Zlobinsky each scored two goals in the win. Juniors June Akpath and
Annikah Lillie each scored their first tally of the season.
Vulpisi went the distance in goal in both games, recording eight saves against the Sunbirds and 13 against the Trojans.
The Tigers will face #6 UC Irvine in the 8 a.m. contest on the second day of the Lancer Joust on Saturday. The Anteaters (3-1) rolled over host California Baptist, 20-6, and defeated Azusa Pacific, 24-7, on Friday. Pacific will wrap up its first weekend later Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. contest against Biola (2-5). The Eagles beat Redlands, 10-7, and lost to USC, 20-6, on Friday.
