Friday, April 28
Santa Barbara, Calif.
3 p.m.
Long Beach State University
18-7, 5-2
10
vs
7
UC Santa Barbara
18-11, 2-5
1
2
3
4
F
UC Santa Barbara
2
1
2
2
7
Long Beach State
0
2
2
6
10
Photo by: John Fajardo
Fourth Quarter Flurry Lifts Long Beach State Past UC Santa Barbara
4/28/2023 4:49:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
Long Beach State will now play Hawai'i in the semifinals of the Big West Championships.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The women's water polo team opened the Big West Championships in exciting fashion as they scored six of their ten goals in the fourth quarter to defeat UC Santa Barbara 10-7. Rachael Kowalchick, Lara Luka, and Elisa Portillo each had two goals, while Chelsea Oliver stepped up with 12 saves in the victory.
Goals were hard to come by for both teams as each side turned up the defensive pressure in the first quarter. UC Santa Barbara would break the deadlock with 1:11 left in the quarter and would score a second before the buzzer to give them a 2-0 lead after one.
The Gauchos would add a third goal in the second quarter, but Anne de Kleer took advantage of a six-on-five opportunity and Elisa Portillo converted a five-meter penalty to keep the Beach in the game, trailing 3-2 at halftime.
Long Beach State came out firing after the break as Rachael Kowalchick and Martina Cardona would both score within the first minute of play, giving the Beach their first lead of the day. UC Santa Barbara bounced back to score two goals of their own, retaking a one-goal lead headed into the fourth quarter.
The Beach opened the fourth quarter completely swinging momentum in their favor, as they scored four straight goals, making the score 8-5. The Gauchos wouldn't go down without a fight, as they pulled back two goals making it a one-goal game. However, it turned out to be too little too late, as they were forced to pull their goalkeeper which allowed Lara Luka and Amanda Price to score two empty-net goals.
The Beach defense stood strong throughout the game as they held UC Santa Barbara to 1-11 on powerplay opportunities. Chelsea Oliver's 12 saves also marked the ninth time this season in which she recorded double-digit saves.
Long Beach State's postseason run continues tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Hawai'i in the semifinals. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at theFOSH.net.
Goals were hard to come by for both teams as each side turned up the defensive pressure in the first quarter. UC Santa Barbara would break the deadlock with 1:11 left in the quarter and would score a second before the buzzer to give them a 2-0 lead after one.
The Gauchos would add a third goal in the second quarter, but Anne de Kleer took advantage of a six-on-five opportunity and Elisa Portillo converted a five-meter penalty to keep the Beach in the game, trailing 3-2 at halftime.
Long Beach State came out firing after the break as Rachael Kowalchick and Martina Cardona would both score within the first minute of play, giving the Beach their first lead of the day. UC Santa Barbara bounced back to score two goals of their own, retaking a one-goal lead headed into the fourth quarter.
The Beach opened the fourth quarter completely swinging momentum in their favor, as they scored four straight goals, making the score 8-5. The Gauchos wouldn't go down without a fight, as they pulled back two goals making it a one-goal game. However, it turned out to be too little too late, as they were forced to pull their goalkeeper which allowed Lara Luka and Amanda Price to score two empty-net goals.
The Beach defense stood strong throughout the game as they held UC Santa Barbara to 1-11 on powerplay opportunities. Chelsea Oliver's 12 saves also marked the ninth time this season in which she recorded double-digit saves.
Long Beach State's postseason run continues tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Hawai'i in the semifinals. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at theFOSH.net.
Team Stats
UCSB
LBSU
Shots
32
34
Goals
7
10
Assists
6
6
Points
13
16
Exclusions
9
11
Steals
11
5
Sprints
2
2
1
Sarah Owens
1:11
Cami Mras
0:29
2
Drew Halvorson
5:45
Anne de Kleer
4:36
Elisa Portillo
3:40
3
Rachael Kowalchick
7:47
Martina Cardona
7:07
Imani Clemons
5:49
Nina Munson
4:53
4
Gabriella Matafora-Adams
6:40
Elisa Portillo
5:46
Rachael Kowalchick
5:04
Lara Luka
4:35
Caitlyn Snyder
4:23
Annie Kuester
1:47
Amanda Price
0:17
Lara Luka
0:00
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
7
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
5
Goals
1
Assists
1
Points
2
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Players Mentioned
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Utility
/ Women's Water PoloAttacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Goalie
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
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