Emma O'Gorman
15
Winner Cal State Monterey Bay CSUMB (14-15, 6-3)
13
Gannon GAN (9-11, 2-4 WWPA)
Winner
Cal State Monterey Bay CSUMB
(14-15, 6-3)
15
Final
13
Gannon GAN
(9-11, 2-4 WWPA)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Cal State Monterey Bay CSUMB 5 4 2 4 15
Gannon GAN 1 3 4 5 13

Game Recap: Women's Water Polo | | By Isaac Petkac, Director of Communications & Creative Content

Golden Knights Fall in WWPA Quarterfinals

THE GAME FACTS

  • Final Score: (#3 West) Cal State Monterey Bay 15, (#2 East) Gannon 13
  • Location: Irvine, Calif. – William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center
  • Round: WWPA Quarterfinal

IRVINE, CA - Gannon's valiant comeback effort fell just shy on Friday, as the Golden Knights fell to Cal State Monterey Bay, 15-13 in the WWPA Quarterfinal round.

The first period was ultimately the deciding factor in the game. Cal State Monterey Bay jumped out to an early lead, scoring five goals in the opening quarter to take a 5-1 advantage.

Gannon responded in the second quarter with three goals, including scores from Abbey Murphy (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) and Carissa Jones (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny), but trailed 9-4 at halftime.

The Golden Knights made their push in the third quarter, scoring four times behind a strong stretch from Maria Martinez (Barcelona, Spain/Jesuïtes Gràcia Col·legi Kostka) to cut the deficit to 11-7 heading into the final frame.

Gannon continued its comeback effort in the fourth quarter, delivering its strongest stretch of the match with a 4-0 run to erase the deficit and tie the game at 11-11. Claudia Orte Blanch (Madrid, Spain/IES Profesor Maximo Trueba) ignited the rally before Brigid Carmody (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) and Maria Martinez (Barcelona, Spain/Jesuïtes Gràcia Col·legi Kostka) followed with key finishes, capping a surge that completely shifted the momentum in favor of the Golden Knights.

However, Cal State Monterey Bay answered with timely goals down the stretch to regain control and hold off the Golden Knights in the closing minutes.

THE KNIGHT CAP

  • Balanced Offense: Gannon finished with 13 goals on 31 shots, and six different players scored at least one goal on the afternoon. 
  • Martinez Leads: Maria Martinez (Barcelona, Spain/Jesuïtes Gràcia Col·legi Kostka) recorded five goals and one assist for six points to lead the team. She was most recently named to the WWPA all-conference second team and all-freshman team. 
  • Jones Adds Three: Carissa Jones (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) finished with three goals on seven shots.
  • All-Around Effort: Claudia Orte Blanch (Madrid, Spain/IES Profesor Maximo Trueba) contributed two goals and three assists for five points, good for second on the team. 
  • Late Push: Gannon erased a four-goal deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 11-11. After CSMB took a 13-11 lead, Molly Fehr (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) would respond to cut the deficit to 13-12. But two consecutive goals from the Otters was enough to hold the lead despite Jones making it 15-13 with 20 seconds to go.
  • In Goal: Izabella Trunzo (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) made eight saves in the contest on 23 shots against. 

UP NEXT

Gannon will continue play at the WWPA Championships with exhibition action tomorrow against UC Merced at 11:30 am.

This story was written using the support of AI.

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