Box Score Seaside, Calif - The Concordia Irvine women's water polo team delivered a strong all-around performance on Saturday afternoon, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay 12–7 at the CSUMB Aquatic Center.
The Golden Eagles improved to 12–9 on the season behind a fast start and balanced scoring attack that set the tone early in the contest.
Concordia came out firing in the opening quarter, scoring four unanswered goals to take immediate control of the match. Hannah Edwards opened the scoring before Alexa De Villiers and Presley Acosta added goals to extend the lead. Sierrah Ferguson capped the dominant first period with a goal late in the frame, giving the Golden Eagles a 4–0 advantage.
CUI continued to build momentum in the second quarter. Ferguson found the back of the cage twice in the period while Amber Lewis converted on a power-play opportunity to push the lead to 7–3 heading into halftime.
Cal State Monterey Bay attempted to close the gap in the third quarter, but the Golden Eagles answered every surge. Ferguson scored again to complete her four-goal performance, while Sydney Eisberg added a power-play goal and De Villiers finished the quarter with another score to keep Concordia comfortably in front at 10–5.
The Golden Eagles sealed the win in the fourth quarter with timely offense and solid defense. Emeline Smiley scored on a power-play opportunity before De Villiers added her third goal of the game in the final minute to secure the 12–7 victory.
Ferguson led the Concordia offense with four goals, while De Villiers recorded a hat trick with three goals. Acosta contributed a goal and two assists, and Lewis added a goal and an assist as the Golden Eagles displayed balanced offensive production throughout the match.
Defensively, Concordia received a strong performance from goalkeeper Jaden Soto, who recorded 10 saves in the cage to help limit the Otters' scoring opportunities.
The Golden Eagles also capitalized on their power-play chances, converting three of five opportunities while maintaining control of the match from the opening quarter to the final whistle.
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