The No. 15 UCSD women’s water polo squad started of the UC Santa Barbara Gaucho Invitational by dropping its first two games to No. 2 Stanford, 6-0, and No. 12 San Jose State, 8-4, on Feb. 28. The Tritons made one of their trademark turnarounds on Feb. 29, regaining their composure with an 8-1 victory over unranked University of Pacific and then sparking a five-point second half en route to a more meaningful 6-2 win over No. 12 UC Irvine and a 13th place finish in the tournament.
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The 2-2 performance was the latest in a string of up-and-down performances for the 8-10 Tritons, who, after a 3-1 showing at the UC Davis Shootout, looked to finally break the inconsistency jinx.
“We weren’t mentally ready against Stanford and San Jose State. It’s the same issues as before, being able to come out and play to win,” UCSD head coach Larry Sanders said.
Despite being 18 games deep in the season, this young UCSD squad is still having trouble bringing a consistent, aggressive offense to the table. The offensive performance in Santa Barbara, Calif., underlined by an 0-for-16 shooting performance against Stanford, was a faded memory of the team that took second place at UC Davis.
But nine Tritons picked up at least one goal this weekend, led by junior driver Tobi Lyman’s four. Lyman, a transfer from UC Irvine, now has 21 goals on the season and is looking more and more like a smart pickup on Sanders’ part. Senior two-meter defender Meris Bantilan-Smith continued her role as team lynchpin, adding three goals of her own to the effort.
The goal well ran dry against Stanford, however, as the Tritons undermined their own upset efforts in the 6-0 shutout. Scoring opportunities were abundant, but a hesitation in attacking led to failure in each UCSD trek up the pool. The Tritons drew six man-up opportunities, but a reluctance to shoot the ball allowed Stanford to sustain a tight position on each player. In comparison, the Cardinal converted three of their six man-up opportunities, but only needed one to put the game away.
“Everybody was waiting for someone else to [shoot] it, but no one was doing it. We’re not having that same fire, that killer instinct from last week,” Sanders said. “Stanford went 3-for-6 on their man-ups, and typically a success rate like that will win you any game.”
The UCSD defense gave another persistent effort, holding the second-ranked Cardinals to a slim 3-0 margin at the half and, at six goals, topped by Hannah Luber’s three, tied Stanford’s lowest output for a game this season. However, without an offensive attack to provide pressure, the Tritons could not crack the Cardinal lead.
The hopes for victory rose as the Tritons faced off against San Jose State only a week after dispatching the Spartans in a victory that later proved to be the inspiration for the Tritons 3-1 performance at Davis. As in their previous meeting, the Tritons went down early, lacking the persistent attack that kept the Spartans close. San Jose State, unchecked, cruised out to an 8-2 advantage by the fourth quarter.
The Tritons scored two goals in the fourth to briefly stir things up, but the Spartans’ lead was unassailable. UCSD’s drivers had most of the scoring luck, as juniors Jessica Wong and Jaemi Jackson and sophomore Jane Hashimawari converted from their spread positions while Bantilan-Smith contributed a score.
In a precarious position where a loss could have meant last place and a losing record, the Tritons had the luck of drawing unranked Pacific. The Tigers were no patsies, but, capitalizing on the lessened pressure of a weak opponent, the Triton offense racked up six unanswered goals in the first half.
Against Pacific, the two-meter offense continued its success against unranked opponents, who provided an opportunity for the inexperienced duo of senior Lesha Bounds and freshman Natalie Hockett to polish their skills in a relaxed environment.
Bounds led UCSD scoring with three goals, a tally bolstered by a pair from Lyman. This game was reminiscent of an 18-1 win earlier in the season against unranked Marist College, where the Tritons, struggling at the Michigan Invitational, loosened up and restored some of their confidence.
As sweet as the drought-ending win was, however, the 6-2 success over UC Irvine was a redemption for a weekend in shambles.
Fittingly, it was the former Anteater, Lyman, who led the charge, hitting two goals, matching a deuce from Bantilan-Smith. Hockett and Hasimawari each tallied one to add to the scoring fray, highlighted by a six-goal second half.
The Anteaters made UCSD earn the victory, however, battling the Tritons to a 1-1 deadlock at the half. But in the third quarter, UCSD’s offense suddenly kicked into gear, lighting up the scoreboard with three unanswered goals to finish off UC Irvine.
“This gave us an opportunity … to learn. We controlled the game, played both offense and defense, and sent us home on a positive note,” Sanders said.
Throughout the season, the UCSD squad has grappled with the inconsistencies on offense with an open mind, adapting their game as part of what Sanders calls “the learning process.” But looking ahead to an anticipated rematch against conference foe Loyola Marymount, part of a three-way mini tournament with Claremont College on March 6 at Canyonview Pool, the Tritons know that they must play with tenacity or risk another blowout at the hands of the Lions.
“We’re still adjusting but we’re not being consistent on offense,” Sanders said. “It’s frustrating to the girls, they were starting to learn how to win last week. They want to win.”
