FRESNO, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's water polo team took down Redlands 13-8 before falling to Fresno Pacific 22-6 at the Bulldog Mini.
The Bobcats (2-9) 13 goals marked a season-high.
Kiryn Wicker scored four goals in the win and added two more against FPU. Claudette Asenjo also scored six goals on the day, registering a hat trick in both contests.
Amelie Ramirez finished with 15 saves on the day, including nine against FPU.
Game One: UC Merced 13, Redlands 8
UC Merced controlled the game early on scoring the first four goals while holding Redlands scoreless for nearly the first seven minutes. Wicker scored twice for the Bobcats in the first quarter as her team led 4-1.
Both teams took turns scoring in the second quarter, but it was the Bobcats who owned the last two and a half minutes and got a goal from three different players to create further separation and carry a 9-4 lead into intermission. The Bobcats ninth goal came from the goalkeeper Ramirez, her first career goal.
Redlands scored the first two goals of the third quarter to cut the margin to three before the Bobcats answered right back with an Asenjo goal. That was it for third quarter offense and the Bobcats held a 10-6 with one quarter to go.
Wicker scored on the Bobcats first possession of the final frame and then along with Asenjo, scored again inside of three minutes to help put the game away with the Bobcats leading 13-6. Redlands didn't score in the frame until the 1:56 mark. The opponent tacked on one more but the Bobcats still had plenty of breathing room and finished the morning with a 13-8 victory.
Breyenne Pierce finished the game with three steals helping lead the defense. Melanie Torres, Aislyn Sorsky, and Wicker had two steals each.
UC Merced Goals: Wicker (4) Asenjo (3) Melanie Torres (2) Piper Ferris (2) Aislyn Sorsky (1) Ramirez (1)
Game Two: Fresno Pacific 22, UC Merced 6
Asenjo scored three minutes into the match but Fresno Pacific set the tone overall in the first quarter outscoring the Bobcats 4-1.
Wicker brought the Bobcats a goal closer 59 seconds into the second period, but FPU followed with four straight scores extending its lead to 8-2. Head coach Johnny Bega's squad worked hard to cut into the deficit, though weren't able to make up much ground and trailed 9-4 at halftime.
UC Merced could not stop FPU in the third quarter as the Sunbirds scored eight unanswered, including five goals in the final 3:23 of the period to take a 17-4 lead.
The Bobcats produced two goals in the final frame, one each from Wicker and Asenjo, but couldn't shift momentum and FPU responded with four straight goals to end the match, winning 22-6.
UC Merced Goals: Asenjo (3), Wicker (2), Pierce (1).
Up next, the Bobcats will change locations for the weekend and play Santa Clara and #25 Brown at the Bronco Invitational on Sunday, February 16 in Santa Clara, Calif.
