CLAREMONT, Calif. – Playing in the Convergence Tournament for the second straight day, the Concordia University Irvine Golden Eagles defeated a fellow NCAA D2 school before facing off with a former WWPA opponent for their fourth game in less than 36 hours.
CUI pulled off two fantastic comebacks after trailing by multiple goals in the second half of each contest.
Game 1: CUI 11, McKendree 9
Mia Hueston scored three times and the Golden Eagles built a 6-3 lead by halftime.
Hannah Edwards added two goals and
Alexa De Villiers added two goals and an assist as well.
Emeline Smiley contributed one goal and a helper, while
Madison Emerson,
Kimorah Wong and
Presley Acosta also each found the back of the net.
Junior goalkeeper
Jaden Soto collected a dozen saves.
The recently named WWPA Defender of the Week was also credited with a career-high six steals.
Game 2: CUI 13, Santa Clara 12
After falling behind Santa Clara by three goals in the third quarter by a count of 10-7, CUI rallied to finish the game on a 6-2 run. Sierra Ferguson scored twice during that surge, including the first goal of the fourth period that gave CUI a 11-10 lead.
Mia Hueston and
Munroe Blem each converted in clutch fashion to keep the Green and Gold in front down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Soto racked up 15 saves in this one and played the entire game. Soto and the CUI defense held the Broncos scoreless for four straight minutes before Santa Clara scored with 13 seconds left for the final 13-12 margin.
Alexa De Villiers and
Anna Tyukasz each scored twice against the Broncos. Edwards was credited with game-high four assists and also scored once.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles finished up the weekend 3-1 at the Convergence Tournament after
they went toe-to-toe with two D1 programs from the Philadelphia area on Friday. They are back in action on Tuesday, March 10 at 6 pm at nearby UC Irvine.
Concordia will be back home on Friday, March 27 at 11 a.m. PT against new WWPA conference foe UC Merced.
CLICK HERE for the full CUI women's water polo schedule
