REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Water Polo team dropped a pair of games during the Bulldog Invitational Saturday falling 19-6 to Pomona-Pitzer and 20-3 to Cal Baptist University.
The Bulldogs still seek their first win of 2022 as they sit at 0-4, 0-1 SCIAC, but have faced a tough schedule so far with match-ups against Fresno Pacific, Biola University, Pomona-Pitzer, and now Cal Baptist.
Game 1 (Pomona-Pitzer; L, 19-6)
The Bulldogs hosted the Sagehens in the second game of the invite and it was played as a conference match-up. It was a big opening period for PP as they outscored UR 7-1. After trailing 5-0 across the first four and a half minutes Redlands finally got on the scoreboard at the 2:09 mark thanks to first year center Sydney Sereg (Fullerton, CA). The 2nd Quarter proved better for the Maroon and Grey getting the first connection from Danielle Cary (Riverside, CA) making it a five-point game after capitalizing on an exclusion. Less than three minutes later Sereg converted inside set again this time using a 6-on-5 advantage to keep the margin at five.
Out of the break PP tacked on three straight to open the game up until Courtney Sawin (Tacoma, WA) ended the run with an advantage strike. The Sagehens then rattled off another three in a row before Sereg completed the hat trick at the 1:20 mark this time battling three defenders to find the back of the net.
It was a low scoring 4th Quarter with Katrina Nielsen (Houston, TX) getting the lone connection for the Bulldogs, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback as Pomona-Pitzer would come away with the road victory.
Tori Zielinski (Sunnyvale, CA) played all 32:00 minutes between the posts collecting five saves. Sereg finished with three goals, Nielsen added a goal, an assist, a drawn exclusion and a steal, and Emma Parker (Yucaipa, CA) chipped in with two assists.
Redlands took 22 shots on the game with a .273 shot percentage. They were 4-of-10 on power plays and won just one sprint.
Game 2 (Cal Baptist; L, 20-3)
After falling to the Sagehens earlier in the day the Lancers looked to bounce back against Redlands in the nightcap. They outscored UR 3-0 across the opening eight minutes and then took a 10-2 lead into the break. The two goals in the first half for UR came from Sereg and Parker, one of which came on a 6-on-5. In the second half it was a struggle on offense for the Maroon and Grey putting up just one goal, while being outscored 10-1. That one tally coming from Holly Kvanvig (Beaverton, OR) in the 3rd Quarter.
Zielinski totaled eight saves and a steal across the 32:00 minutes. Redlands finished with 20 shots, shooting .150 on the game, while going 1-for-5 on power plays.
Redlands wraps up February competition next week, Wednesday, February 23 with a conference match-up with the University of La Verne beginning at 4:00pm.
