ORANGE, Calif. - The Concordia women's water polo team swooped into the first day of the Convergence Tournament and met resistance against two nationally-ranked teams.
The Golden Eagles achieved a low-scoring match against No. 23 Villanova—a team Concordia hasn't faced since 2017. Sophomore goalie Jaden Soto and the rest of the defensive line held off the Wildcat's attempts to score. Soto was credited with 14 saves and an impressive five steals over the course of the match. Emeline Smiley was close behind with three steals of her own.
In each period, it was twos across the board for the Golden Eagles. Sofia Smith and Hannah Edwards led the charge for Concordia within the first period. At one point, the Golden Eagles held off the Wildcats from scoring for three minutes straight.
Coming out of the second, Sierrah Ferguson sped her way through the water to make it 4-3. It wasn't until the last minute of the period that Hannah Edwards scored on a man-down opportunity.
The Wildcats slowly started pulling away in the third period, leading off 8-5 at one point. Sofia Smith captured the two goals in the third all on her own, making it three overall for the Fullerton-native. Thus, marking her first hat trick of the 2025 season.
Freshman Anna Tyukasz was also a wonder in the water for Concordia. In the final period, she was able to close the gap between the Wildcats 7-8. With the clock winding down, Villanova scored once more, but Tyukasz found the back of the net on a penalty shot for the last goal of the game.
No. 23 Villanova narrowly won 9-8, leaving Concordia awake and ready for their next match against No. 21 Marist.
The Marist Red Foxes kept the Golden Eagles on their toes. For every shot Concordia made, Marist was able to keep a safe distance ahead. Even with the slowly widening gap, the Green and the Gold didn't hesitate to get the wheels turning. Not only did Sierrah Ferguson score the first CUI goal of the match, but the freshman also had her second hat trick of the year.
Anna Tyukasz was unstoppable and offensively led Concordia with four goals, six in total for the day. The freshman attacker didn't stop there. She also had two steals under her belt and changed the momentum of the game in the second period.
Defensively, Jaden Soto was a force to reckon with in the cage. She had 11 saves and a steal over the course of the match. The Concordia goalie hit double digits two games in a row, totaling 25 saves on the first day.
By the fourth period, No. 21 Marist sealed the lead and shut down Concordia in the final minutes of the game. The final score was CUI 10 – Marist 15.
NEXT UP: The Green and the Gold will head into day two of the Convergence Tournament on Saturday, March 1 to face off against Chapman and La Salle. The times are 11:30 am and 4:30 pm, respectively.
CLICK HERE to view the FULL Concordia women's water polo schedule.
