The UCSD women’s water polo team battled long and hard under a blanket of San Diego fog at home in the Canyonview Pool to place seventh in the Triton Invitational on Feb. 10 and 11. This was the Tritons’ second weekend in action this season and their first four-game tournament, which was split into two days of action. The No. 17 Tritons took down No. 13 Michigan State University on Feb. 11 with a 10-7 win to earn seventh place after being defeated by No. 14 Hartwick University 6-9 earlier that day. On the first day of competition, the Tritons started with a 10-9 overtime win over Princeton University, but closed out the day with a 4-6 loss to the eventual tournament winner, No. 11 Loyola Marymount University.
Senior two-meter Sarah Bajorek scored two points in the 10-9 win over Princeton University on Feb. 10 and another when the Tritons took down Michigan State 10-7 on Feb. 11.
Any fatigue from their three prior games in the two-day period did not seem to affect the Tritons in their match against Michigan State. It was also clear that the Tritons’ depth as a team — already evident at the beginning of their season — will be one of their strong points in future games.
UCSD spread out its offense, allowing eight different players to score in the game, including freshman utility Stephanie Bocian, sophomore driver Sydney Gstettenbauer, senior two-meter Natalie Hockett, junior two-meter Judy Emaus, senior two-meter defense Sarah Bajorek, senior two-meter defense Britta Nordstrom and junior utility Nicole Hermann.
“”Everyone worked hard the whole game and we have a very deep team this year … having so many people score just proves this,”” Hockett said. “”It is nice that when a team decides to maybe double-team one player, we have the ability to fill that space with another player just as capable.””
Another tool used by the Tritons to edge the 10-7 win over Michigan State was the work of junior utility Lauren Woods, who netted three goals in the match.
“”I used that lasting frustration from the previous loss [against Hartwick University] and shot the ball as hard as I could,”” Woods said. “”So many of us scored, it was almost as if each of us wanted to prove that our team is a force to be reckoned with.””
The entire game was in the hands of the Tritons. The closest Michigan State ever came was the two-point margin of 8-6 with 3 minutes, 41 seconds left on the clock, only to be closed off with goals by Gstettenbauer and Woods in the final stanza.
Though the Tritons managed to learn from their mistakes earlier that morning when they lost to Hartwick University and turned the day around to beat Michigan State, the 6-9 loss to the Hawks was devastating for the team. UCSD started with a strong possession of the ball and an equally aggressive drive as their competitors, and came out of the first quarter on a 2-1 lead off Bajorek and Woods’ goals. Hartwick quickly tied things up in the second quarter only to see the Tritons take back the lead as Emaus and Hermann netted a goal apiece and brought the score to 4-3 at the half.
The second half, however, did not lend for a balanced scoreboard as the Hawks swept four goals past the Triton defense, leaving the home team scoreless in the third quarter and unable to bounce back despite goals by Hockett and Bajorek in the fourth.
“”Hartwick ran this silly defensive play where they put one person in the cage and split the rest of us up top, and we fed right into it,”” Gstettenbauer said. “”We couldn’t get back up after they took it to us, which is weird because we definitely are a fighting-to-the-end kind of team.””
This fighting spirit is what held the Triton team within two points of the tournament winners and Women’s Western Water Polo Association rivals Loyola Marymount University in their matchup the day before.
“”We were in there with them the whole game,”” Gtsettenbauer said. “”So that was exciting to see where we stand as a team and what our capabilities are.””
The first game of the tournament also proved to be a test for the Tritons’ capabilities but they rose to the occasion in a thrilling overtime 10-9 win over Princeton University. The score was tied eight times during the game as both teams fought for the first win of the weekend. Junior driver Elizabeth Hahn led the team in scoring with three points, followed by Bajorek with two and one-point contributions by Hockett, Gtsettenbauer and senior driver Miho Umezawa.
The first five minutes of the overtime session remained scoreless for both teams on the 9-9 tie, but Hermann surprised the Tigers with the game-winning goal as she struck from the right side with 37 minutes on the clock.
“”This tourney was an exciting one, because all the games were very evenly matched,”” Gstettenbauer said. “”I think if we fix our minor errors that we tend to make here and there, we will be prepared for any team we come across. We are fighters this year, and don’t easily give up, and I think that is going to help when it comes down to those close wins.””
With a seventh-place spot to finish the tournament, the Tritons are on the road Feb. 24 and 25 at the UC Irvine Invitational, where Hockett feels confident in their chances for more wins.
“”I am excited to perhaps get a rematch with the teams we lost to this weekend,”” Hockett said.
