La Jolla, Calif. - The No. 17 UC San Diego women's water polo team split its pair of games on the first day of the 2011 Triton Invitational, falling to No.14 Hartwick, 11-4, before taking down Santa Clara, 12-10, Saturday at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
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UCSD will face Maryland at 10:40 a.m. tomorrow with the winner advancing to play in the ninth-place game. Maryland fell to No. 11 UC Irvine to start the day and recovered with a 12-3 win over Sonoma State.
UCSD trailed early in its opening game against No.14 Hartwick, as the Hawks jumped out to a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. After battling to keep their deficit to two at halftime, the Tritons were outscored 5-1 in the third, giving Hartwick a 10-3 cushion heading into the final frame. Each team would muster a single score in the final quarter as the Tritons fell, 11-4.
Hanalei Crowell led the Tritons with a pair of scores; Kirsten Bates and Hannah Guthman accounted for the other UCSD goals. Kristen Ostosh tallied four saves. The loss marked the second consecutive year the Tritons have lost to the Hawks in the opening game of the Triton Invitational. UCSD lost to Hartwick, 10-7, on February 6, 2010.
Crowell scored a pair of goals in the first quarter against Santa Clara in the afternoon affair, helping the Tritons get out to a 3-1 lead. UCSD would maintain its two-goal advantage through halftime as Bates, Jessica Tran and Melissa Bartow found the back of the net to make it 6-4.
SCU would pull within one just 1:38 into the final quarter, however, goals from Bartow and Crowell gave the Tritons a 9-6 lead with 5:26 left to play. The teams traded scores until consecutive scores by the Broncos made it 11-9 with 1:58 remaining. SCU would get within one just 40 seconds later on a goal from Sarah Safir.
The Broncos would have an opportunity to tie the game on their next possession, but the Tritons came up with a steal and called time-out. Bates scored on the ensuing play with just 32 seconds left to give UCSD the lead for good, 12-10.
Ostosh registered six saves in the second game. Crowell led the Tritons with six scores on the day while Bates followed with four scores.
The Tritons opened Western Water Polo Association play on Friday evening against Cal State East Bay by taking down the Pioneers, 8-6. Freshman Katherine Biehle scored with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter to break up a 6-6 tie and Crowell sealed the win, sending home the only score of the final period with 4:47 remaining.
