Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
CBU
No. 12 Fresno State defeats No. 20 CBU, 22-13
3/6/2021 4:30:00 PM | Water Polo
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The No. 12 Fresno State water polo team opened up Golden Coast Conference play with an assertive 22-13 victory over No. 20 Cal Baptist, Saturday morning. The Bulldogs improve to 5-4 (1-0 GCC) this season.
"It's great to have the first win of conference play with balanced scoring," head coach Natalie Benson said. " We made some improvements in some aspects of our game, we will continue working on others. We're ready to get back to work next week."
Fresno State logged the advantage in shots 41-30 and won three out of four sprints. Emily Nicholson led Fresno State on offense with four goals. In goal, Hope Stokes recorded eight saves for the Bulldogs.
Additional goal scorers for the Bulldogs include Daphne Guevremont (3), Callie Woodruff (3), Claire Schade (3), Isabella Sonkoly (3), Emily Diacono (2), Sienna Jagielski (2), Cynthia Rosa (1)Â and Kaitlin Howarth (1).
How it happened – Fresno State opened the game with a 5-1 run to take an early lead over CBU. The Lancers closed the first quarter with back-to-back goals to end the Bulldogs' run making it a 5-3 game after the first eight minutes.
Fresno State went back on the offensive attack, firing off five consecutive goals that were netted by five different Bulldogs. The Lancers eventually found the back of the cage with 1:48 left in the second quarter, but Diacono quickly responded with another Fresno State goal. The Bulldogs owned a strong 11-4 lead going into the third quarter.
The Lancers opened got on the board first to start the third. Sonkoly struck back for the Bulldogs, but the Lancers managed to net three consecutive goals in response closing in on Fresno State's lead 12-8. The Bulldogs offense went back to work with a 5-1 run to finish the quarter.
The Bulldogs entered the final eight minutes with a 17-9 lead over the Lancers. Sonkoly and Guevremont extended the lead with back-to-back goals. CBU tried rally scoring two goals, but the Bulldogs held strong and finished with a 22-13 victory to kick off conference play.
What's next – Fresno State will host its GCC home opener against Azusa Pacific on Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m. PT at the Aquatics Center. Â
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley '' – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
 Â
 Follow us on:
Twitter:Â FresnoStateWP
Instagram:Â FresnoStateWP
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
