FRESNO, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's water polo team lost two matches at the Bulldog Mini on Saturday, falling 10-9 to Caltech and 15-7 to Whittier.

The Bobcats (1-8) nine goals against Caltech marked the most goals against a NCAA opponent in program history. Both Caltech and Whittier are NCAA Division III teams.

Aislyn Sorsky combined for seven goals on the day, while Melanie Torres added three. Hope Stokes totaled 20 saves in the cage.

Match One | Caltech 10, UC Merced 9

Aislyn Sorsky scored a career-high five goals and Hope Stokes stopped ten shots in UC Merced's attempt to earn their first ever win over a NCAA foe. Sorsky becomes the fourth player in program history with at least five goals in a match joining Stokes, Viviana Luna, and Claudette Asenjo.

Both teams were strong defensively through the first quarter and Caltech was the first team to score but not until five minutes into the match. The Beavers scored one more on their final possession of the first quarter and made it three unanswered goals with shot into the back of the net to start the second quarter.

Sorsky put the Bobcats on the board two minutes later and Arianna Martinez scored her first goal of the season closer to intermission. However, sandwiched between both scores were two Caltech goals and the Beavers led 5-2 at halftime.

Head coach Johnny Bega's team continued to work at the deficit and a pair of Sorsky third quarter goals brought the Bobcats within one just over three minutes into the period. After a Caltech score, Liberty Hamilton kept pace and extended her goal scoring streak to four straight games.

However, the Beavers caught fire and scored four goals in the final 93 seconds of the third quarter to reach ten on the day. Stokes got one of the goals back for the Bobcats, scoring from the cage from the second time this season. The senior has spent time in the cage and the field this year and has scored in six straight games now for UC Merced. The Bobcats trailed 10-6 going into the fourth quarter.

Stokes and the Bobcats shutout the Beavers in the fourth quarter and gave themselves a chance to get a positive result. Sorsky scored with three minutes left to make it 10-7. Defensively after Sorsky's goal, the Bobcats finished their last five possessions with three Stokes saves, a Caltech 2m call, and a Hamilton steal to stay in the game. Sorsky deposited another shot into the back of the net on a power play with 90 seconds left to bring the Bobcats within two goals and then Torres scored to make it a 10-9 game with 34 seconds left.

Stokes made her tenth save of the match to give the Bobcats a chance to force overtime, but UC Merced came up empty with their four seconds to operate and fell 10-9.

Stokes finished with ten saves overall. Other notables from the match include three steals from Stokes and two assists and two steals from Torres.

Match Two | Whitter 17, UC Merced 5

Sorsky carried her offensive momentum into the second game of the day but her goal came after five straight first quarter Whittier goals. Whittier scored again after Sorsky, and the Bobcats trailed 6-1 at the end of one.

The teams traded goals in the second quarter and it was an 8-3 Whittier lead at halftime. Torres and Jacqueline Azevedo scored the Bobcats second quarter goals at the 4:15 and 0:54 marks, respectively. Azevedo's goal was her first of the season.

Sorsky buried the Bobcats first shot of third quarter to come within four, but Whittier countered with three straight before Torres scored towards the end of the period to notch her second multi-goal game of the season. Torres' goal brought the score to 11-5.

Whittier added one more in the third quarter and then shutout the Bobcats 5-0 in the final frame to cruise to their 17-5 victory.

Jaycee Morris was one of four Poets with four goals and she also had three steals and recorded two saves.

Stokes stopped ten more shots in three quarters in the cage. Carlin Rodelo was credited with two saves in the fourth quarter.

Up next, UC Merced will scrimmage Olympic Club in San Francisco on February 24 before gearing up for four matches at the Pomona Convergence Invitational March 1-2 in Los Angeles, Calif.