ROHNERT PARK, Calif- On a brisk February morning, Sonoma State rode the hot hands of Laurel Stricklin and Emily Pearce to a 15-11 victory over Cal Lutheran in the opening match of the Seawolf Splash. With the win, Sonoma State improves to 2-8 overall while Cal Lutheran falls to 0-4.

Sonoma State got off to a fast start in the first quarter. Thanks to three goals scored by Pearce, who finished with four on the match, the Seawolves built an early lead they would never relinquish. Both teams traded four goals in the second quarter. Sonoma State got great contributions from the entire roster, with eight different players scoring in the match, including four by Stricklin.

While on paper it appears that Sonoma State dominated the match, Cal Lutheran made things interesting in the final quarter. The Regals would outscore the Seawolves in the final four minutes of the quarter four to one, but the comeback attempt fell short as time simply ran out for Cal Lutheran.

Gina Uliana played solid defense in the cage, with ten saves and two steals. The Seawolves were also successful in the passing game; Brooke Smith had four assists, Stricklin added three.

For the Regals, Kelsey Bergemann led the way with four goals. Joy Cyprian put in three.

Sonoma State will take on the No. 15 Aggies of UC Davis, looking for their first win against a ranked team this season. The first sprint will begin at 3:45.

Recap and Stats (.pdf)