SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UCSB split its contests at the Fresno-Pacific Tournament with a convincing 19-7 win over Concordia and a narrow 7-6 loss to San Diego State.
The Gauchos are now an even 7-7 on the season and will be back in action next weekend for the UC Irvine Invitational.
Samantha Murphy went off against the Eagles with five goals, while Miranda Schrader finished with a hat trick. Schafer scored four goals total between the games, while Camila Schafer and Sophie Trabucco score a pair of goals each.
CONCORDIA
The UCSB women's water polo team flexed their offensive muscle today in their match against the Concordia Eagles at the Fresno Pacific Tournament, exploding for 19 goals against Concordia's seven to easily take the win.
A total of 10 Gaucho players had at least one goal in the game with the leading scorer being junior Samantha Murphy, who had five goals. Mirander Schrader followed her with a trio of goals, while Michelle Dunn and Tess Wardle netted two each. Camila Schafer, Sophie Trabucco, Taylor Shore, Madison Delgado, Claryann Olofsson-Loo, and Jade Went-Fitzgerald each had one goal apiece.
Samantha Murphy began the contest with her first goal of the day coming within minutes of the starting quarter. Tess Wardle would follow up forty seconds later as she launched the ball into the back of net. With a quick 2-0 lead over the Eagles, the Gauchos settled in and took control of possession time. Before the quarter ended, Sophie Trabucco added another goal for her team.
The second quarter began with a familiarity as Murphy connected for back-to-back goals in the first two minutes. Within a four-minute span, UCSB had just as many goals coming from Shore, Schrader, Schafer, and Delgado. Concordia would get on the board after Meg Dix fired two shots into the net. The score would be a comfortable 9-2 lead for UCSB.
Entering the second half, the Gauchos would have their offensive frenzy continue. Wardle had her second goal in the opening seconds and Murphy resumed her onslaught seconds later with a goal. Claryann Oloffson-Loo and Michelle helped themselves to their own goals. Likewise, Schrader and Murphy served up another pair of successful shots. In the closing seconds, Wentz-Fitzgerald joined the shootout with her own goal. Meanwhile, the Eagles attempted to scratch off their huge deficit by a hat trick from Tayla Walsh, creating a 17-5 score.
Concordia hoped to diminish UCSB's lead in the last eight minutes of the game. Dix and Walsh pressed for two more goals, both within the sixth minute, but the Gauchos had secured their lead long ago. Dunn and Shore completed UCSB's offensive raid in the last few minutes and sealed the win with a final 19-7 outcome.
SAN DIEGO STATE
No. 17 UCSB (7-7) falls short against No. 12 SDSU (5-3) in a close 7-6 defeat at the Fresno Pacific Tournament on Saturday. Similar to their last meeting together, the Aztecs took an early lead and barely hung on for the narrow victory over Santa Barbara.
Jenna Solberg led the Gauchos in scoring with two goals, while Elizabeth Hendrix, Sophie Trabucco, Camila Schafer and Miranda Schrader added a goal each.
San Diego State jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, but the Gauchos would respond. UCSB cut the Aztec's lead to one in the second, however a goal by SDSU's Ioli Benekou with 23 seconds left in the quarter pushed the Aztec's lead to 4-2 going into the half.
With 45 seconds left in the third, UCSB's Solberg scored her second goal in the quarter to bring the Gauchos within one going into the final period.
After a goal by Benekou a few minutes in, Santa Barbara tried to rally scoring two goals in the last minute of the match. It was too little too late as the Gauchos lost by a lone point for the second time this season against SDSU.
UCSB was unable to stop San Diego State's Benekou, as her five goals carried the Aztecs past the Gauchos.
Santa Barbara will try to bounce back when they resume play on Saturday, February 21st at the UC Irvine Invitational.
