HAYWARD, Calif. - The top-seeded and 12th-ranked UC San Diego women's water polo team overturned an early two-goal deficit to take down third-seeded host Cal State East Bay and win the 2016 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Tournament title game by a final score of 9-5, Sunday at the Chabot College Pool.
The result marks the fourth straight conference crown for the Tritons, and fifth in the last six years under head coach Brad Kreutzkamp, who has led his squad to the WWPA final in all seven of his seasons in charge.
The Tritons win their seventh straight game and improve their overall record to 26-9. The Pioneers completed their campaign at 16-11.
Junior two-meter defender Lani Tittle, sophomore utility Kayla Fedler and senior attacker Emma Sasson led UCSD with two goals each. Redshirt junior two-meter defender Alexis Wieseler, junior center Lauren Boyer and freshman attacker Krista Schneider added one apiece. Senior goalie Courtney Miller made 11 saves.
Sabrina Hatzer was the leading scorer of the game and for CSUEB with three goals and Tori Dettloff pitched in two. Pioneer goalie Nikki Vaughn finished with 10 saves.
The Tritons stumbled out of the gates, as they were shut out and gave up two scores to CSUEB in the opening quarter.
UCSD answered back in the second period with three consecutive goals from Fedler, Schneider and Tittle to take a 3-2 lead. The Pioneers evened the score as Dettloff fired one home on a six-on-five situation. With 27 seconds remaining, Tittle found the back of the cage with an assist from Schneider as the Tritons went into halftime with a 4-3 advantage.
UCSD did not allow a CSUEB goal in the third frame and scored twice on two powerplays goals from Sasson, the second coming with three ticks left before the final period, to create a three-goal cushion.
Hatzer scored on the second Pioneer possession of the fourth quarter to cut the margin to two. Wieseler answered with a goal to push it to three once again, but Hatzer answered with another one 19 seconds later. It would be the closest CSUEB would get as the Boyer and Fedler each put one away as UCSD prevailed by four.
Miller, Tittle and Fedler were named to the WWPA All-Tournament First Team. Sasson was placed on the second team. Miller was chosen the WWPA Tournament MVP.
UCSD earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship at UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center, with the bracket to be announced during the NCAA selection show, which can be viewed at NCAA.com on Monday, May 2, at 5 p.m. PT.
BOX SCORE
UCSD 0 4 2 3 - 9
CSUEB 2 1 0 2 - 5
Goals
UCSD: Lani Tittle 2, Kayla Fedler 2, Emma Sasson 2, Krista Schneider, Alexis Wieseler, Lauren Boyer.
CSUEB: Sabrina Hatzer 3, Tori Dettloff 2.
Saves
UCSD: Courtney Miller 11.
CSUEB: Nikki Vaughn 10.
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