TEMPE, Ariz. – A pair of strong performances for the 20th-ranked Pacific women's water polo program resulted in wins of 17-7 over UC Santa Barbara and 19-8 over Cal Lutheran on Sunday in the final day of the Arizona State Tournament at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
Pacific (3-3) spread the offense around as 13 different student-athletes scored a goal on the day. Junior
Ella Cowan and sophomore
Lauryn Lucero combined for five goals apiece.
In game one against UCSB (1-11), the Tigers got out to a 10-3 halftime lead and shutout the Gauchos in the fourth quarter. Junior
Laia Marsinach Ortega netted four goals, while Cowan turned in a hat trick. Freshman
Maria Ikonomou, freshman
Eleni Ikonomou, freshman
Sophie Pethers and Lucero tallied two goals each.
Junior goalkeeper
Maja Lizy Dulic got the start and made nine saves. Sophomore
Laurel Cooper entered in relief and blocked two saves.
It was the first meeting between the Tigers and Gauchos since 2016 and Pacific's third straight win in the series. The Tigers have won five of the last six dating back to 2013.
Against Cal Lutheran (1-6), Lucero and sophomore
Penny Cowan recorded hat tricks, while Cowan, junior
Anna Crum, junior
Lily Van Putten, sophomore
Olivia Turney and sophomore
Kyra Lurito notched two goals each.
The Tigers got out to a 5-1 lead in the first quarter and upped it to 11-5 at the half. Pacific proceeded to outscored Cal Lutheran 8-3 in the second half.
Cooper played the whole way and registered 12 saves in net. The Tigers improved to 5-1 all-time against CLU.
Up next, the Tigers will compete in the Bronco Invitational with four games in Santa Clara, California. It begins with a 2:30 p.m. contest against Brown. Pacific's next home game is Saturday, March 7 at 5 p.m. against UC Davis.
Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the
PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at
209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
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