REDLANDS, Calif. – On a snowy morning at the Thompson Aquatic Center (TAC) the University of Redlands Women's Water Polo team (1-7) lost to the No. 23 ranked team in Division I Cal State Northridge (CSUN), 9-3, and then in the afternoon came back to beat Westcliff University 13-11 for their first win of 2023.
Game 1 (Cal State Northridge; L, 9-3)
The Bulldogs and Matadors played the first seven plus minutes scoreless as the snow and steam coming off the pool caused 11 turnovers before Emma Parker (Yucaipa, CA) scored off a Breanna Bailey (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) assist at the 2:34 mark of the opening quarter.
CSUN would end the first with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead into the second. Just short of three minutes into the second, Parker scored again, this time on an assist from Sofia Portello (Sonoma, CA), as Redlands drew even at two.
Over the final four plus minutes of the first half the Matadors took their first multi-goal lead as the Bulldogs trailed by two, 4-2, at the half.
CSUN opened the second half with a pair of goals in the first minute and a half, but Bailey added a goal to her assist with 4:44 on the clock to make it a 6-3 deficit. Bailey's goal came on a five-meter penalty drawn by Katrina Nielsen (Houston, TX).
Nielsen finished with four drawn exclusions. Bailey had a goal, an assist, and three steals. Parker was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs with two, she also had a drawn exclusion. In goal Tori Zielinski (Sunnyvale, CA) made 11 saves and had a game-high five steals.
Game 2 (Westcliff University; W 13-11)
In an exciting final game of the Bulldog Invitational, Redlands got off to a great start, scoring three unanswered goals after conceding the opening goal :17 seconds into the game. Portello, Hannah Long (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) who scored off a Portello assist, and Parker took advantage of a 6-on-5 to make it 3-1 thanks to a feed from Kaitlynn Pierceall (Beaumont, CA).
In the second quarter the Warriors took control of momentum and scored five unanswered goals to lead 6-3 with less than three minutes left in the half. Over the final three minutes Courtney Sawin (Tacoma, WA) and Nielsen each scored to make it a one-goal game. Long and Danielle Cary (Riverside, CA) setup a goal each as it would be a 7-5 Warrior advantage after a late goal at the half.
Redlands and Westcliff traded a pair of goals each in the opening two minutes of the third with the Bulldog goals coming courtesy of Parker and Nielsen with Portello collecting assists on both.
With the Bulldogs trailing by only one at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Sawin scored and tied the game off a Cary assist at the 7:20 mark and then Portello set her up for the lead-taking goal on a powerplay with 5:40 left.
After the Warriors tied the game at 11 with 4:36 on the clock, the Bulldogs defense stepped up and held them scoreless the rest of the way and got the game-winning goal from Parker on a powerplay with 1:40 remaining. Long would score with :51 seconds left to seal the victory, 13-11.
Parker tied for a game-high with four goals. Long and Sawin each scored hat tricks as well. Setting up five goals and scoring a sixth was Portello as she tied for a game-high six points.
In goal Zielinski made 12 saves, five of them came in the fourth and final quarter to help the Bulldogs to their first win of the season.