Long Beach, Calif. - The Concordia women's water polo team made their 2025 debut down at the Long Beach Invite. The Golden Eagles faced off against two Division I schools, Cal State Fullerton and tournament host, Long Beach State on Saturday evening. 

Initially, Cal State Fullerton and Concordia held each other at a stand still. Not a single goal was made by either team until the end of the first period. The Golden Eagles may have had a slow start, but by the third period, sophomore Sofia Smith broke through the Titan's wall and captured the first goal of the season for CUI. Attacker Kailah Peery made it possible with her crucial assist. 

Thanks to the sophomore duo's efforts, multiple Golden Eagles stepped up to the challenge and started to make things happen. Newcomer Kennedy Brubaker captured her first goal as a Golden Eagle. Freshman Anna Tyukasz made an explosive impact in the fourth period! The Hungary-native tallied more than half of the goals for Concordia in a single period. Tyukasz offensively led the team with five goals overall, five steals, and an assist. Her efforts in the water effectively closed the margin between the two teams, making the final score CUI 7 - CSF 9 in the season opener. 

Defensively, Jaden Soto tallied 9 saves and 4 steals over the course of the first game, then collected seven saves in the second. CUI's returning starting goalie earned GCC All-Freshmen Team last year and will be worth the watch this season.

Long Beach State proved to be a tough opponent for the Golden Eagles. Within the first two minutes, the senior center Sofia Dominguez put Concordia on the board with two back-to-back goals. The Beach responded in kind and Concordia's initial lead gradually diminished. 

The Golden Eagles were undeterred by this and fought until the very end. Anna Tyukasz scored three more against The Beach, effectively collecting eight for the day. The freshman attacker added two assists and another steal to her collection.

Strong performances from Sofia Smith, Emiline Smiley, and Kailah Peery kept Concordia afloat in the fast-paced game. Long Beach State soon accelerated their lead, causing Concordia's defense to be on high alert throughout the remainder of the match. By game's end, Concordia had 8 goals to Long Beach's 23. 

NEXT UP: The Green and the Gold will play in the UCSD Triton Tournament from Friday, January 31st to Feb 2nd. The tournament takes place in La Jolla and the scheduled opponents will be determined in the coming week. 

CLICK HERE to view the FULL Concordia women's water polo schedule.