Scoreboard

Tyler Lobe

Liz Barr recorded two goals, two steals and one assist during Friday's WWPA Championship opener.

Women's Water Polo 4/29/2016 8:57:00 PM Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Women's Water Polo Team Falls to Cal State East Bay in WWPA Championship Opener

THE RUNDOWN

Final Score: Cal State East Bay 16, Gannon 8
Records: Gannon (6-13), Cal State East Bay (15-10)
Location: Hayward, Calif. - Chabot College
The Short Story: The Cal State East Bay women's water polo team scored the first five goals en route to a 7-1 first-quarter lead and knocked off Gannon 16-8 Friday afternoon in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship opener in Hayward, California. The setback pushed the Lady Knights into Sunday's fifth-place match.

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HOW IT HAPPENED

Cal State East Bay was off and running from the beginning, scoring the first five goals.
Sophomore Francesca Williamson (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley Liberal Arts) put Gannon in the board with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter, scoring unassisted.
Cal State East Bay responded with two more goals and assumed a 7-1 lead after one quarter.
Both teams netted a goal during the second quarter. Sophomore Liz Barr's (Honolulu, Hawaii/'Iolani School) unassisted tally accounted for the Lady Knights' score.
Cal State East Bay pulled away with a 6-2 advantage during the third quarter and went to the final stanza with a 14-4 lead.
Seniors Rachel Bednarek (Windermere, Fla./Olympia) and Shanen Lazenby (Erie, Pa./McDowell) produced third-period goals for Gannon.
The Lady Knights did go down fighting, earning a 4-2 scoring edge during the final eight minutes. Sophomore Alison Cooney (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) sandwiched a goal from sophomore Kristi Howe (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) between two of her own.
Barr found the net one more time with 1:14 remaining to account for the final 16-8 score.

MATCH NOTES

Cooney and Barr led the offensive unit with two goals each.
Barr also had two steals and one assist.
Bednarek, Howe, Lazenby and Williamson added one score each.
Sophomore Abby Quinn (McKean, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) highlighted the defensive group with three steals.
Junior Emily Rodriguez (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) made her 17th start of the season in goal, recording five saves and two steals in three quarters.
Freshman Isabelle Vieira (Erie, Pa./Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy) covered the goal for the final eight minutes.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

Gannon entered the WWPA Championship as the sixth seed while Cal State East Bay was seeded third.
The Gannon-Cal State East Bay was one of two first-round matches scheduled for Friday. Fourth seed Mercyhurst defeated fifth seed Cal State Monterey Bay 13-11 during the first match of the day.
Gannon is competing in its second WWPA Championship after joining the league prior to the 2014-15 academic year.
Cooney recorded her 15th multiple-goal match of the season while Barr produced her 10th.
Quinn entered the contest with four steals in 18 matches, before having a season-best three against Cal State East Bay.
Cooney moved into Gannon's all-time top 15 in goals with 84.

UP NEXT

Gannon concludes its season Sunday, May 1 against Cal State Monterey Bay in the WWPA Championship fifth-place match.
Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Gannon dropped a 14-7 decision to Cal State Monterey Bay in the season opener at the Mercyhurst Invitational on February 19.

Players Mentioned