FRESNO, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's water polo team played tough but ultimately fell twice on Saturday afternoon at Sunnyside Aquatics Center, losing 16-9 to Fresno Pacific and 11-10 in golden-goal overtime to Occidental.
The Bobcats (4-17) overtime match was their first since 2023.
Claudette Asenjo led the Bobcats throughout the day with two hat tricks, including scoring four against FPU. Kiryn Wicker had hat trick against FPU, while Breyenne Pierce scored three goals against Oxy.
Freshman goalkeeper Amelie Ramirez recorded a career-high 16 saves against Oxy. She had eight against FPU.
Match One: Fresno Pacific 16, UC Merced 9
FPU and UC Merced traded goals for the first four minutes of action, but the Sunbirds created some separation with a 3-0 run and held a 5-2 lead early in the second quarter.
Aislyn Sorsky stopped the Sunbirds run with a goal at the 5:40 mark of the second. FPU widened the margin scoring four of the next five goals to go up 9-4 and then Pierce beat the buzzer to bring the Bobcats within four at halftime.
The Sunbirds scored five more goals in the third quarter to extend their lead to 14-7. Asenjo and Wicker delivered back-to-back goals for the Bobcats at the end of the period, but UC Merced was shut out in the fourth quarter and fell 16-9.
Piper Ferris assisted three of the Bobcats nine goals.
UC Merced Goal Scorers: Asenjo (4) Wicker (3) Pierce (1) Sorsky (1)
Match Two: Occidental 11, UC Merced 10 (OT)
Asenjo scored the equalizer with 28 seconds left in regulation and Pierce struck first in overtime, but Oxy emerged victorious with a golden-goal in the second sudden-death period. Pierce's goal was the Bobcats lone score in overtime.
The back-and-forth match featured eight ties and five lead changes in regulation. Asenjo scored the first goal of the contest before Oxy was responsible for three of the next four goals bringing the clock under a minute in the first quarter. Melanie Torres deposited a shot into the back of the net and it was knotted up at 3-3 heading to the next period.
After five minutes without a goal for either team, Pierce scored with 2:42 left in the first half to put the Bobcats back in front. Oxy tied the game before halftime and the match was tied 4-4 at intermission.
The Tigers came out firing in the second half scoring twice in the first three minutes before Grace Tademy put the Bobcats back on the board and started a 3-0 run that resulted in a 7-6 UC Merced advantage.
Each team scored an early fourth quarter goal, but Oxy jumped in front 9-8 with goals at the 5:50 mark and 2:59 mark. Asenjo scored the equalizer with 28 seconds left and the Bobcats held Oxy without a shot to force overtime.
Pierce was the Bobcats only goal scorer in overtime, finding the back of the net almost immediately. Oxy tied the game in the second overtime period. After a scoreless first sudden-death period, Oxy's Hannah Lee scored the golden-goal one minute into the next sudden-death period, completing her hat trick with an exclamation point.
Despite the loss, Tademy registered three steals.
UC Merced Goal Scorers: Asenjo (3) Pierce (3) Ferris (1) Tademy (1) Torres (1) Wicker (1)
Up next, UC Merced will host Biola in the 2025 home opener on Saturday, March 22. The match is set for 1:00pm at the Aquatic Center.
