BOX SCORE: Cal State East Bay 8, Sonoma State 7 (2OT)GENEVA, Ohio -- Tied at 6-6 late in overtime, the Sonoma State women's water polo team surrendered a go-ahead goal to Cal State East Bay with just four seconds remaining on the clock, but after a timeout and the offense set,
Kaysie Lewis launched a 20-meter shot and tucked it into the back of the net with 0.5 seconds left to equalize the game at 7-7.
However, the Seawolves (9-19) failed to convert their first offensive opportunity to start the second overtime, allowing the Pioneers (13-15) to eventually push the golden goal into the net for the sudden 8-7 loss on Saturday in the semifinals of the 2015 WWPA Championships at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
Sonoma State, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will play No. 3 Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday at 7:15 am Pacific Time for 3rd Place. Meanwhile, No. 4 seed Cal State East Bay will take on top-seed and three-time champion UC San Diego in the WWPA title game at 12:00 pm ET.
It would be a scoreless tie until late in the first quarter when CSUEB's Ka'iliponi McGee scored the game's first goal with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. SSU answered with three consecutive goals by
Brittny Hummel,
Alexa May and
Lily Carlon to take a 3-1 lead into the halftime intermission.
Sabrina Hatzer and Taylor Cross brought Cal State East Bay even with Sonoma State at 3-3 late in the third quarter and neither team would lead by more than a single goal the rest of the way. In fact, the Seawolves trailed 5-4 with under three minutes left in regulation, but Hummel scored the second of three goals in the match to knot it up at 5-5 and force the extra time. Hummel scored again in the first overtime to put SSU up by a goal, but CSUEB responded with two unanswered goals, including what seemingly was the game-winner by Cross with four seconds left.
After Lewis' prayer with 0.5 seconds left in OT extended the match into sudden death, the Seawolves won the sprint, but failed to convert, allowing the Pioneers' Jenn Lightbody to fight through traffic in front of the goalmouth and push the ball past
Andrea Mallul and into the net for the game-winner 55 seconds after the second overtime had started.
The team's combined to convert on only 3-of-17 powerplay chances while goalkeepers Marrina Nation and Mallul collectively saved 19 shots. The stats were nearly even between the squads with both taking 35 shots and committing nine turnovers. The Pioneers were 2-of-9, and Seawolves 1-for-8 converting power play opportunities; both of CSUEB's powerplay conversions came in overtime.
Hummel led Sonoma with three goals. Cal State East Bay's Cross led all players with four.
