LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The 17th-ranked UC San Diego women's water polo team defeated 13th-ranked Michigan 10-7 to win the seventh-place game at the Triton Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Canyonview Pool. The Tritons spread the offense around as eight different Tritons scored in the win. Lauren Woods netted three goals, while Stephanie Bocian, Sydney Gstettenbauer, Natalie Hockett, Judy Emaus, Sarah Bajorek, Britta Nordstrom and Nicole Hermann added scores. Earlier in the day, the Tritons suffered a 9-6 loss to 14th-ranked Hartwick. UCSD is back in action on Feb. 24-25 at the UC Irvine Invitational in Irvine.
UCSD led 2-1 after the first quarter against Hartwick, with Bajorek and Lauren Woods scoring goals. After Hartwick tied it in the second period, UCSD regained the lead at 3-2 on a score by Judy Emaus. UCSD then led at halftime by a 4-3 score on a goal by Nicole Hermann. The lead for UCSD would be its last as Hartwick outscored the Tritons 4-0 in the third frame, leading 7-4 after three. Hartwick would lead by as many as four in the game. Natalie Hockett and Bajorek added scores for UCSD in the fourth.
The Tritons scored four times in the first quarter with the help of two Woods' scores to lead 4-2 after the first. UCSD's Emaus scored in the second as the Tritons held a 5-3 halftime lead. Hermann scored with 4:00 left in the third, giving the Tritons their first three goal lead at 7-4. Michigan would pull as close as 8-6 with 3:41 left, but goals by Gstettenbauer and Woods put the game out of reach.
