ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - Kirsten Bates finished with a hat trick and four other Tritons recorded multiple-goal games as the No. 20 UC San Diego women's water polo team trounced Sonoma State 14-9 in Western Water Polo Association play on Friday afternoon at Dr. G. Edward Rudolff Pool.
UCSD improves to 3-1 in WWPA play, 8-7 overall and snaps a four-game losing streak endured last weekend at the UC Irvine Invitational. SSU drops to 4-11 on the year and 1-4 in conference competition.
Katherine Biehle,
Jessica Tran,
Sarah Lizotte and
Natalie Peng each scored twice for the Tritons in the victory. Tran and
Leah Gonzales tallied team-highs with three assists in the game. Biehle and Gonzales pitched-in three steals as well.
UCSD jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first quarter and led 7-3 at the half. UCSD scored four goals in the third quarter for an 11-6 lead before tying SSU with three goals in the final frame for the five-goal win.
Allie Taylor stopped eight shots in goal and
Melissa Bartow drew a team-high four ejections. The Tritons were 7-of-12 in 6-on-5 situations in the contest.
UCSD heads East for the Aggie Shootout tomorrow at UC Davis. The Tritons face Pacific at 10:00 a.m. before diving-in with the 16th-ranked Aggies at 2:00 p.m. in Schaal Aquatics Center.
