Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The University of California, Merced women's water polo team split its doubleheader on Saturday at the Indiana Classic, beating Carthage College 12-8 for the first win of 2025. The Bobcats (1-3) fell 15-5 to McKendree.
Melanie Torres and Kiryn Wicker led the Bobcats with four goals each, while eight Bobcats in total scored across the doubleheader. Wicker's first score marked the first of her career. Freshman goalkeeper Amelie Ramirez registered 15 total saves, including eight in the victory.
Game One: McKendree 15, UC Merced 5
McKendree, a WWPA member, scored three goals in the first two minutes to jump out to an early lead. Wicker put the Bobcats on the board at the 5:53 mark, but the Bearcats responded with three more first quarter goals and led 6-2 at the end of one.
UC Merced was unable to score in the second quarter and trailed 10-2 at halftime.
Claudette Asenjo snapped the Bobcats scoring drought midway through the third quarter, while Torres followed two minutes later and then deposited another shot into the back of the net with 2:53 left in the game finalizing the Bobcats scoring in the 15-5 loss. UC Merced held McKendree to just two fourth quarter goals, the Bearcats slowest offensive eight minutes of the match.
Goal scorers: Torres (2), Piper Ferris (1), Asenjo (1), Wicker (1)
Game Two: UC Merced 12, Carthage 8
Wicker tallied two first quarter goals and then Asenjo joined the fun as the Bobcats led 3-2 after eight minutes. After Carthage tied the game on its first possession of the second quarter, the Bobcats held the opponent scoreless for the next five and a half minutes and put away two goals of their own to grab a two-goal advantage, 5-3 with a goal each from Torres and Wicker. Wicker notched the first hat trick of any Bobcat this season and the Bobcats led 6-5 at the break.
Carthage again pulled even upon restart of play. Ferris responded 50 seconds later and the Bobcats never looked back. Torres followed to make it 8-6, and then a goal each from a trio of Bobcats pushed the advantage to 11-8 by the end of the third quarter. Aislyn Sorsky, Asenjo, and Viviana Luna combined for the goals.
The Bobcats defense dominated from there, shutting out Carthage the rest of the way. Ferris tacked on the game's final goal inside of three minutes.
Goal scorers: Wicker (3), Torres (2), Ferris (2), Asenjo (2), Sorsky (1), Breyenne Pierce (1), Luna (1)
Saturday marked the Bobcats first ever matchup against both McKendree and Carthage.
Up next, UC Merced will play CSUN and Salem at the Indiana Classic on Sunday, January 26. The Bobcats jump in the pool at 9:15am PST.