Fresno State Athletics
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Fresno State water polo splits day one of UCSB Invitational, earns first victory in program history
1/20/2018 9:45:00 PM | Water Polo
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Fresno State water polo began its inaugural season on Saturday at the UCSB Gaucho Invitational. The Bulldogs came out on the short end but hung tough against a talented Indiana team in their first game. In their second game, the 'Dogs showed grit, determination and late-game execution as they won 10-9 over CSUN to earn the first victory in program history.
"It was an exciting day of firsts for the 'Dogs, finishing out with the program's first win," head coach Natalie Benson said. "I'm proud of the pride our athletes competed with, and their resilient attitude throughout the day. I look forward to tomorrow's games as an opportunity for continued growth and gained experience."
GAME 1 – vs. No. 13 Indiana
Fresno State began its inaugural season with a matchup against No. 13 Indiana.
The Hoosiers struck first with a goal by Mollie Williams at the six-minute mark of the opening period. Less than a minute later, Gabrielle Wiltse scored the first goal in Fresno State water polo history on a power play to even the score at 1-1. Indiana would answer right back with a score to take the lead back at 2-1. With about 1:30 left in the first, Gabrielle Wiltse scored her second goal of the game to make it a 2-2 game. The Hoosiers would score with just 15 seconds left to take a 3-2 lead into the second quarter.
Indiana again scored the first goal of the period in the second, but the Bulldogs had a quick response as Maci Layne poured one into the back of the cage to make it a 4-3 game in favor of the Hoosiers with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter. Trystyn Vuori blasted one into the net with about six minutes left but Indiana would close the half on a 4-0 run to take an 8-4 advantage into the break over the 'Dogs.
The third period did not yield as much offense as the previous two. Jennifer Beadle scored to give the Hoosiers a 9-4 lead before Isabella Magno added a goal for Fresno State to bring the score to 9-5 in favor of Indiana heading into the final period.
Callie Woodruff scored for the Bulldogs just over a minute into the fourth quarter to bring Fresno State within three at 9-6. The 'Dogs threatened down the stretch but Indiana would score three more times to earn an eventual 12-6 victory.
Game 2 – vs. No. 21 CSUN
The Bulldogs later faced off against CSUN in their second game of the day.
The Matadors scored the first two goals of the opening period as they took a 2-0 lead with just under three minutes left in the first. Fresno State and CSUN then traded goals in the final two minutes as Claire Schade scored her first of the season for the 'Dogs. The Matadors held a 3-1 lead after the first quarter.
Neither team could get any offense going until the final two minutes of the second period until Claire Schade scored her second goal of the game and Emily Nicholson also snuck one into the cage to make it a 3-3 game at the break.
The Bulldogs and Matadors were evenly matched in the third quarter as both squads scored twice. Callie Woodruff and Emily Nicholson accounted for the two Fresno State scores in the period as the game was tied 5-5 heading into the fourth.
Nine goals were scored in the final period between the two teams. The 'Dogs opened the quarter aggressively as they led 9-6 with just over three minutes on the clock. That deficit was too much for CSUN to overcome, as Fresno State would go on to win by a score of 10-9 to capture the first win in program history.
Game 1:
Fresno State – 2, 2, 1, 1 | 6
Indiana – 3, 5, 1, 3 | 12
Fresno State Goals – Wiltse 2, Layne, Vuori, Magno, Woodruff
Game 2:
Fresno State – 1, 2, 2, 5 | 10
CSUN – 3, 0, 2, 4 | 9
Fresno State Goals – Schade 3, Woodruff 3, Coachman 2, Nicholson 2
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