IRVINE, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's water polo team fell 12-7 to Concordia University Irvine and 16-5 to Biola over the weekend.
Kiryn Wicker and Claudette Asenjo led the Bobcats (2-18, 0-7) offense with three goals each.
GAME ONE | Concordia 12, UC Merced 7
CUI scored the first two goals of the game before Madison Marion and Asenjo dented the twine to pull the Bobcats even at the 2:40 mark of the first quarter. CUI responded with goals on back-to-back possessions in the final two minutes of the frame and led 4-2 going into the second.
The Golden Eagles made it 5-2 on a power play goal to start the second quarter. The game tightened up again as Asenjo and Wicker found the back of the net to bring the Bobcats within a goal less than two minutes later, 5-4. CUI scored the next two goals and would lead 7-4 at halftime.
Wicker converted a penalty shot 19 seconds into the third quarter to make it a two-goal game, 7-5. However, Concordia got the goal back at the 4:53 mark of the period which started a 5-1 goal scoring run that stretched into the fourth quarter. CUI led 12-6 with four minutes to go. Makayla Hemphill scored the Bobcats goal in the middle of CUI's burst. The Bobcats kept CUI at 12 goals but scored just one more of their own in the closing minutes, a Wicker goal at the 3:45 mark. Wicker's goal completed her third hat trick of the season, first in WWPA play.
Makenzie Royal recorded eight saves and a steal.
GAME TWO | Biola 16, UC Merced 5
Biola started strong and jumped out to a 3-0 lead just over five minutes into the match. Sophia Milton got the Bobcats on the board at the 1:31 mark and then Tori Valdez scored 45 seconds later. Biola scored one more in the first quarter to hold a 4-2 lead.
Biola scored four unanswered goals in the second quarter to open up an 8-2 advantage. Piper Ferris deposited a shot into the back of the net to cut into the deficit at the 2:21 mark, but Biola added two more in the final minute of the first half and led 10-3 at intermission.
Breyenne Pierce scored for the Bobcats in the third quarter but the Eagles would score four to extend their lead to double figures at 14-4.
Asenjo accounted for the Bobcats final goal with 6:10 left in the match as UC Merced fell 16-5.
Royal finished with seven saves and three steals. Marion also had a career-high three steals, while Grace Tademy and Valdez collected two apiece.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will close the regular season at Fresno Pacific on Wednesday, April 1. The match is set for 6:00pm at Sunnyside Aquatics Center in Fresno, Calif.
