Pioneers Split Four Games at Fluid Five Tournament

  • March 28, 2010



BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Cal State East Bay women's water polo team finished its weekend at the Fluid Five Tournament, hosted by Indiana, with a 2-2 record. The Pioneers (18-8) topped Gannon and Mercyhurst and falling to No. 8 Michigan and No. 16 Indiana.

East Bay opened the tournament on Saturday against the eighth-ranked Wolverines, who held the Pioneers to just three goals in the 16-3 victory. CSUEB was shutout in both the first and third periods and headed to just one goal in the opening half. Juniors Danielle Comforti, Tristan Kennedy-Donohue and Liz Warren each tallied a goal in the loss, while senior goalie Lauren Merrill posted seven saves.

The Pioneers picked up their first win of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, putting away Gannon for the second time this season with a 21-7 victory. East Bay took a 10-2 lead after the first quarter and continued to roll from there. Warren paced the Pioneers with six goals in the game, while Comforti and freshmen Chelsie Bryan and Claire Pierce scored three apiece. Gannon kept Merrill and junior goalie Kendra Mason busy, as the two combined to make 10 saves in the win.

Sunday morning, Cal State East Bay met Mercyhurst, taking a 14-8 victory. After jumping out to a 4-2 lead in the first quarter, the Pioneers tacked on another three in the second frame, while allowing two for the Lakers in the period. After taking a 7-4 lead into the half, East Bay shut out Mercyhurst in the third to gain a 10-4 advantage before scoring and allowing four goals in the fourth quarter. Pierce led CSUEB with five goals in the game, bringing her tournament total to eight, while Warren and senior Jenna Casady both added hat tricks for the Pioneers. Bryan notched another pair, while Merrill posted seven saves.

The final matchup of the tournament saw East Bay take on the 16th-ranked host Hoosiers. In a close game, the Pioneers matched IU goal-for-goal in the first quarter, heading into the second tied 5-5. The second frame would prove to be decisive for the Hoosiers, who outscored Cal State East Bay 7-1 in the period to take a 12-6 advantage into the half.

East Bay bounced back in the final two quarters, scoring two goals in each and out-scoring the Hoosiers 2-1 in the final frame. The 10 goals weren't enough, however, as IU added five in the last two periods to secure the victory. Casady, Comforti, Pierce and Warren each notched a pair of goals in the finale, while Merrill made five saves.

Warren capped a stellar weekend with 12 goals in four games, while Pierce, the team's leading scorer, notched 10. Comforti and Bryan each added six in the tournament, while Merrill posted 26 saves in goal.

The Pioneers return to action this weekend, traveling to Cal State Monterey Bay to face both Concordia and the Otters in Seaside. Saturday's meeting with the Eagles is set for 1 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. matchup with CSUMB.