BOX SCOREROHNERT PARK -- The Sonoma State women's water polo team swam out to a 3-0 lead after the first eight minutes of play, and while visiting Fresno Pacific pulled to within one goal twice, the Seawolves would never relinquish the lead en route to the 10-8 victory over the Sunbirds on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Rohnert Park. Sonoma improves to 3-8 this season while FPU fell to 2-4.
Goals by
Ellen Peterson,
Nicole Groat and
Lyndsie Williams in the first quarter gave the hosts a 3-0 lead before Fresno Pacific finally put one on the scoreboard at the 7:17 mark of the second quarter during a 6-on-5 advantage.
Carleigh Robinson scored the first of her three goals on the day on the Seawolves' next possession to put her team up 4-1.
Fresno Pacific began to make its move towards the end of the second quarter, scoring three of the next four goals to pull to within 5-4 with 1:22 to go in the opening half. However, Sonoma responded by scoring four of the next five goals to take an insurmountable 9-5 lead with five minutes to go in the contest. FPU did rally to score three of the next four goals, but the Sunbirds' final score came with 0:20 left, and their two-goal deficit was too much to overcome in the final ticks.
Robinson finished with a team-high three goals while Peterson, Williams and
Kaysie Lewis threw in two goals. Groat had the other score for SSU. Williams also recorded three steals in the victory while Seawolf goalie
Taylor Plorin made seven saves and one steal in the cage.
Julia Ponce netted a game-high four goals for Fresno Pacific. Sunbirds netminder Courtney Hall made 10 stops in the cage.
Sonoma State will take a week off from competition before heading south to compete in the Convergence Tournament, hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer down in Claremont on Mar. 4-5.
