While you were lounging poolside late last week with a drink in your hand, the Triton water polo team was hard at work, engaging in a quartet of fiercely contested matches against some top California teams.
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The Tritons first took to the cozy confines of Canyonview Pool last Thursday, squaring off against the University of the Pacific.
The hard-fought match saw a late surge by the Tigers almost usurp UCSD’s quest for victory.
The Tritons carried a 2-1 lead into the third quarter, during which they piled on two more goals to establish a 4-1 lead.
The Tigers came roaring back in the fourth, scoring three goals and threatening to score more. The Tritons managed to score another goal and with that goal cinched the victory.
Emma Kudritzki was outstanding in the pool against the Tigers, scoring a game-high four goals and leading the team down the game’s home stretch. Hilary Smith chipped in a goal as well.
Goaltender Megan Hubbs also turned in a stellar performance, recording nine saves and stolidly defending the cage in the crucial fourth quarter.
Cari Bertrand led the Tigers, who fell to 3-12 on the season, with two tallies in the match. Teammates Jessica Shroeder and Amanda Tucker also had goals in the loss.
The enthusiasm garnered from the tight victory soon subsided as the Tritons felt the pain of the sharp claws of the Loyola Marymount Tigers, dropping two of their three games in the LMU Invitational.
The Tritons opened the tournament with an excruciating overtime loss to the host team, 4-2. Their second match pitted them against the Aggies of UC Davis in a match that tested the will of all.
In a grueling tilt that went into overtime, the Tritons were the first to blink and were vanquished by Aggie senior Kim Parker’s golden goal with 2:35 left.
The Tritons then showed they were a team of grit and determination by coming back to double up on the University of Redlands, 8-4, in their final game to close out the tournament on a high note.
The Davis game was a true team effort for the Tritons, as six players got in on the scoring action. Silverman led the team with a pair of goals, while Bourret, Danielle Boyle, Courtney Hemmerly, Smith and Kudritzki had one each. The Redlands match saw more of the same unilateral effort from UCSD.
Once again, Silverman had a deuce, this time joined by Kudritzki’s two, and single goals by Smith, Hemmerly, Dana Tucker and Boyle.
The Tritons will face Pomona Pitzer College at 5 p.m. Saturday at Canyonview Pool.
While the Tritons’ record now stands at a less than sterling mark, the statistics belie the progress the team has made. Coach Larry Sanders and his charges have been making strides in the water all season long and look to make an impact in their upcoming games.
The Tritons will be put to the test as they will face off against some of California’s premier programs as the season winds down and the postseason approaches. They will definitely use this weekend’s match with Pomona-Pitzer as an opportunity to crank their game up a notch in anticipation of the season’s final stretch.
