In the opening round of the Big West Championship in Long Beach, No. 5 seed UC San Diego women’s water polo (11-13 3-4 Big West) fell 22-14 to No. 4 seed UC Irvine (13-14 4-3 Big West) on Friday in a high-scoring match. Despite a late offensive push, the Tritons were unable to overcome a dominant first-half Anteater surge.
UCI wasted no time establishing control, exploding for seven goals in the opening quarter. UCSD found brief offensive success with goals from freshman attacker Caitlin Stayt and junior attacker Emily Cloherty, but the Tritons fell behind 7-2 after the first 10 minutes.
The second quarter proceeded in a similar manner, with the Anteaters maintaining their relentless pressure on both ends of the pool and adding another eight goals in the period. Though the Tritons managed to make it onto the scoreboard, with another goal from Stayt and contributions from junior attacker Abigail Schechter and senior attacker Sofia Munatones, UCSD entered halftime trailing 15-6.
Out of the break, UCI dominated once again, maintaining its momentum and extending its lead with five goals throughout the third quarter. Though Sofia Munatones and freshman utility Alex Anghera each found the net, the deficit looked almost impossible to surmount as the Anteaters stretched their advantage to a daunting 20-8 scoreline heading into the final frame.
Despite the 12-goal deficit, the Tritons demonstrated resilience in the fourth quarter, delivering their strongest offensive stretch of the game. Cloherty and Schechter each added to their tallies, while Sofia Munatones capped off an impressive performance with four goals and two assists. Despite outscoring the Anteaters in the final period with six goals to UCI’s two, the Tritons ultimately fell 22-14.
The loss marked the end of UCSD’s run in the Big West Championship, as well as the final dance for several graduating seniors, including attacker Allie Bartholomew, Sofia Munatones, and attacker Sydney Munatones. The Munatones twins, especially, proved vital to this team, making up 109 and 129 points, respectively, throughout their time at UCSD. Their departure will leave a vacancy that the team will look to fill going into next season. The game also marked the end of Sarah Lizotte’s first year as head coach.
“We’re a young team,” Lizotte said to The UCSD Guardian after a victory against UC Davis on March 27. “It’s fun to watch, but it’s a joy to coach as well.”
Though the Tritons started the season with an impressive five wins in six games, their conference schedule proved difficult. UCSD finished the season with 11 wins to 14 losses, including a stretch of five losses, and failed to reach the conference championship semifinal round for the first time in four years. Despite an early end to UCSD’s postseason run, the young team now has the opportunity to regroup and work toward a better season next year.
